Baguettes from France are just better. The sausage (and beer!) from Germany kicks my supermarket’s butt. The pasta in Italy is far superior to the elbow noodles in my pantry. The port wine from Portugal … you get it…..
European Formula. Most people think of baby formula from Europe in the same way – that it’s far superior to US formula. When I probe parents who want this often-illusive European formula about why they prefer a European brand –the answers is usually some form of:
“It’s better regulated” or “the ingredients are cleaner”.
Both of these answers are true from a certain perspective. But honestly, it’s real real hard to find clear information about what makes European formula different from (or better than) US formula. There are lots of blogs that give generic differences (like packaging) and hit on the organic issue. But no one seems to be discussing differences in regulatory guidelines or required ingredients or how to get is safely – pretty big issues!
Well, we are gonna crush that topic. In this article, I am going to:
- Break down the differences in regulations and practices between the US and EU formulas.
- Cover the differences in nutrition requirements that could make a big difference for your baby.
- What you need to know before importing a European formula.
- Break down the differences between the 3 major brands of European formula: Holle, HiPP and Lebenswert.
Differences between USA and European Formula Industry:
1) Farming Practices
The short summary is: generally speaking, the EU farming practices are just better from an infant standpoint. The governing body of European formula regulation is the European Commission (equivalent to the FDA in the US). They require that there be no detectable levels of pesticide residues in any infant formula. This means that all European formulas are organic and then some! Most of the formulas are made from milk cows living on a Demeter farm.
Demeter is like organic++. It means the farm is “biodynamic” – so no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers or GMO technology. The farming practices are sustainable, and the cows graze and consume their natural food source, which is grass. This makes for some healthy and happy cows! Grass-fed cows produce milk that may have additional benefits to infants, compared to cows raised on corn (like most in the US).
Sadly, in the US, we have organic formulas, and we have a grass-fed formula (Similac’s Pure Bliss). You can’t get both organic and grass-fed. If you go with a European brand – you can get both… which is pretty awesome.
Lastly, farms used to produce ingredients for European formulas get major points for sustainability. This really doesn’t affect the nutrition the infant receives, but is worth mentioning since it is important to many families. Because many of the farms are biodynamic, they are also carbon-neutral, and you’ll see that phrase on some European formula’s packaging. Secondly, a few of the companies go out of their way to acquire palm oil from sustainable sources – which is unusual. None of the US companies do this.
2) Goat Milk Formula Is A Thing!
The EU is ahead of the US on the goat milk formula front. Goat’s milk is fully approved as a base for infant formula and widely available in the EU. I’ll have an article coming out soon that will break down the regulations and options you have available if you are considering goat milk formula.
The main brands are Holle (a German company) and Nanny Care (a British company). If you want to get cracking learning more about goat milk formula, here is a video I made comparing goat milk protein vs cow milk protein in formula. And here is an article comparing Holle vs Nanny Care vs Kabrita goat milk formulas.
3) European Formula Comes in Stages (This is BIG)
The EU handles formula totally differently than the FDA. In the US, the FDA regulates “Infant Formula” which is formula made for infants from birth – 12 months. The EU separates their formulas into 2 distinct stages:
- European “Infant Formula” is made for babies from birth to the beginning of solid foods (between 4 – 6 months). This is usually labeled Stage 1.
- European “Follow on Formula” is for infants after solid foods have been started (between 4 – 6 months) until 1 year. This is usually labeled Stage 2.
The important thing to know is that: if you choose a European Formula, it’s pretty dang important to get the right stage for your baby’s age! The nutrition is much more tailored for specific age groups. This is quite different from US formulas, where I consider the whole stage approach to be mostly marketing and not really important.
Stage 3 European formulas are what we’d call “toddler formulas”. I’m not going to cover those here since this article would be considered a book at that point.
Differences between USA and European Formula Regulations:
The European Commission regulates European formula, like the FDA regulates US formula. There are a lot of differences in the requirements and nutrients that you need to know about before making a switch.
First (as just mentioned), Europe does formula in stages. Secondly, they also have some special requirements for partially hydrolyzed and fully hydrolyzed protein formulas, since these formulas have a different protein base than just straight cow’s milk proteins (1, 2). The FDA doesn’t distinguish between types of formulas like this – there is only one set of requirements for all cow’s milk formulas – and these requirements are for any baby between the ages of birth to 12 months (3).
There’s lots of minor differences in the minimum and maximum ranges set for various vitamins and minerals. But, I’m just going to give you the major differences that differ between how US and European brands have chosen to adhere to these guidelines (so basically, the differences that matter).
1) Iron
Apparently Americans and Europeans have very different opinions on how much iron should go in baby formula (and how tight men’s jeans should be… but I digress). Here are the limits set by the two governing bodies:
- The FDA requires US infant formulas to have between 0.15 – 3.30 mg/100kcal iron.
- The European Commission requires European Infant Formula (babies 0 – 6 months) to have between 0.3 – 1.3 mg/100kcal iron.
- The European Commission requires European Follow-On Formula (babies 6 – 12 months) to have between 0.6 – 1.7 mg/100kcal iron.
The US range is just much larger than the European range. But here’s where the real difference comes into play. US formulas all seem to follow the classic “more is better” approach and add iron closer to the upper end of the range. For example, here are the iron concentrations in the major US brand formulas:
- Enfamil Newborn Enfamil Infant = 1.8 mg/100kcal
- Similac Advance (and Pro Advance) = 1.9 mg/100kcal
- Gerber Gentle Stage 1 (0 – 12 months) = 1.5 mg/100kcal
- Gerber Gentle Stage 2 (6 – 12 months) = 2.0 mg/100kcal
Notice that all of these US formulas have iron concentrations well above the maximum allowable concentrations set by the EU for babies of that age. This is one of the biggest differences between the continents! You will obviously find different opinions on who is right and should discuss it with your pediatrician. But here’s what matters. If you are using a European formula, you really need to be using a “follow-on” formula (stage 2) once your baby is between 4 – 6 months of age to be sure they are getting enough iron in their diet. Focusing on iron-rich solid foods will also help! It’s a good conversation to have with your pediatrician who will know all of your unique baby’s risk factors for potential iron deficiency.
2) Sugar and Lactose
I do not like seeing sugar (or sucrose) in baby formula and have been talking about it for a while. I am happy to say that Europe agrees with me! European cow’s milk formulas with intact proteins (which is most formulas) cannot have any sucrose at all! Formulas made from hydrolyzed proteins are allowed to have a little sucrose, but no more than 20%. PLUS the European Commission sets a minimum concentrations of lactose so that all formulas have to have at least 30% carbohydrate from lactose. The FDA doesn’t have any such requirements – regarding sucrose, or %lactose. Lots of the “sensitive” formulas in the US would violate this %lactose rule, and Similac Sensitive and most US soy formulas would also violate the sucrose rule. So there’s that ….
3) Other Ingredients
- The Europeans are a little more conservative with their additives than we are. They do not allow any of the following additives to be used in European Formula: locust gum, guar gum, pectins, fructans (like inulin), and carrageenan. Carrageenan is commonly found in US ready-to-feed formulas.
- L-Carnitine is required in European infant formulas (so for 0-6 months) that are partially hydrolyzed. The US doesn’t require it at all.
- Inositol is only required in European infant formulas (so for 0-6 months). It’s not required in the follow-on formula. The US also requires it – and so it’s in all formula in America.
- The EU recently passed new regulation that will require DHA be added to all infant and all follow-on formula to at least 20mg/100kcal (4)! Companies have until 2020 to make this change. The US doesn’t require DHA at all – although most companies do add it. European formulas that do add DHA use some different sources than American companies (like fish oil). So, it will be really exciting to see how the European formulas adhere to these new requirements over the next few years.
- European formulas have different “extras” than American formulas. In the US, you often see carnitine, taurine or nucleotides added to formula. These are not found in any of the main European cow’s milk formulas (HiPP, Holle, or Lebenswert). However, it is common to see single amino acids added to European formulas, particularly phenylalanine, tryptophan, and tyrosine. None of these are required, but they are often added. I point out which formulas add which amino acids in the brand breakdown below.
- European formulas have more soy-free options. This is great for babies who are sensitive, and I wish the US had more such options available for our babies.
What You Need to Know Before Importing A European Formula:
1) Accurate Information is hard to come by!
Well – obviously this article rocks 🙂 But, accurate lists of ingredients are hard to find! I often have to rely on third party websites to find ingredients, or try to translate foreign labels into English. None of this is ideal! It’s important to know that what you get is what you think you are getting! A good supplier will help with this (more on that below). Also, the EU recently passed regulation that will require more foreigner-friendly labeling for us American parents since there has been so much exporting of European formula over the last few years. This is awesome! But, it does not have to be enforced until 2020. So until then, you have to do your own homework.
2) All Countries in Europe Are Not The Same
HiPP formula has manufacturers in 3 different countries: The United Kingdom, Germany, and The Netherlands. All make HiPP Stage 1 and Stage 2 formulas. While they are similar – they are not the same!!! HiPP Stage 1 from the Netherlands & Germany has a probiotic while UK HiPP Stage does not. The Dutch HiPP is soy-free whereas the German and UK HiPP are not.
So, it’s important that you know which specific country you would like to order. And it’s equally important to use a supplier that will not just lump all HiPP formula together and allow you to specify the type you want. Otherwise, your baby could end up going through many inadvertent formula switches, which can be stressful!
3) Pediatrician comfort
Some US pediatricians are just uncomfortable using European formula. This is for a variety of reasons. The biggest is: European formulas adhere to EU standards and are approved in Europe – so they do not go through the FDA vetting process and are thus NOT FDA approved “infant formulas” in the US. Your relationship with your pediatrician is sacred! You guys need to be a tight team. So be sure to have the discussion with your pediatrician. Show them this article if helpful! But just be sure you are using a formula that you are all comfortable with.
What To Look For in A European Formula Supplier:
So, you’ve made the decision to use a European Formula. Now you’ve got to go about the terrifying task of ordering it over the internet. There are lots of suppliers online. There are also a lot of horror stories online about 4-week shipping times, orders that were never filled, and damaged packaging arriving. This is scary because it’s your baby we’re talking about! So here are the things to look for in a formula supplier/vendor to feel comfortable getting started.
- Supply Chain – Look for a company with a good supply chain. This means that they have established relationships with European suppliers so they have consistent inventory coming into the States in a timely manner.
- Only import via air – Look for a supplier that only imports formula via air freight (and not shipping across the ocean). This ensures the formula arrives faster and is not subject to potentially high heat/humidity levels on a cross-Atlantic ship.
- Local Inventory – Look for a supplier that stores formula in a temperature controlled US warehouse – so it is shipped to you from somewhere in the US (not directly from overseas). This way, you don’t end up with an unanticipated 3-week shipping time. Also local inventory will be kept updated, so if something is out of stock, you will know right away and not learn about a backorder 2 weeks after placing your order.
- Variety of options – Look for a supplier that specifically states which country HiPP they are selling so you don’t end up with formulas manufactured in different countries.
- Good customer reviews always help!
European Formula Brand Breakdown:
We’re finally here! Now that you have all the background, we can actually talk about the differences between the major European brand offerings: HiPP, Holle, Lebenswert and new-kid-on-the-block, Loulouka.
The chart below does not include HiPP’s partially hydrolyzed (Comfort) and hypoallergenic (HA) formulas. I’ll be covering those in an upcoming article.
| Formula | Protein | Carb | Fat | Extras | Amino Acids | Iron* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Holle PRE |
Whole Milk, Whey, Skim Milk | Lactose | Cream, Palm oil, Rapeseed oil, Sunflower oil | None | None | 0.5 | Organic, Demeter & Carbon Neutral |
 Holle – 1 |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose, Maltodextrin | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | None | None | 0.6 | Organic, Demeter & Carbon Neutral |
 Holle – 2 |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose, Maltodextrin, Starch | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | None | None | 0.9 | Organic, Demeter & Carbon Neutral |
 HiPP – 1 (UK) |
skimmed milk, whey powder (60/40 whey/casein ratio) |
Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic) | L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan | 0.5 | Organic |
 HiPP – 1 Hungry (UK) |
skimmed milk (80/20 whey/casein ratio) |
Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic) | L-cysteine, L-tryptophan | 0.7 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 HiPP – 2 (UK) |
skimmed milk, whey powder | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic) | L-tryptophan | 1.0 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 HiPP – 1 (Dutch) |
skimmed milk, whey powder | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic), L. Fermentum (probiotic) | L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan | 0.5 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 HiPP – 2 (Dutch) |
skimmed milk, whey powder | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic), L. Fermentum (probiotic) | L-tryptophan | 1.0 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 HiPP PRE – (German) |
Skim Milk, Whey Product, Whey Protein | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic), L. Fermentum (probiotic) | L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan | 0.5 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 HiPP – 1 (German) |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic)
L. Fermentum (probiotic) |
L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, L-tryptophan | 0.5 | Organic |
 HiPP – 2 (German) |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose, Starch | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | GOS (prebiotic)
L. Fermentum (probiotic) |
L-tryptophan | 1.0 | Organic |
 Lebenswert – 1 |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | None | None | 0.7 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 Lebenswert – 2 |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose, Maltodextrin | Palm, Rapeseed, Sunflower oils | None | None | 0.9 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 Loulouka – 1 |
Skim Milk, Whey (60/40 whey/casein ratio) |
Lactose | Sunflower, Coconut, Rapeseed, oils | None | None | 1.2 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 Loulouka – 2 |
Skim Milk, Whey | Lactose, Maltodextrin | Sunflower, Coconut, Rapeseed, oils | None | None | 1.5 | Organic, Soy-Free |
 Kendamil – 1 |
Whole Milk, Whey (60/40 whey/casein ratio) |
Lactose | Milk fat, Sunflower, Coconut, Rapeseed, oils | GOS (prebiotic) | None | 1.1 | Organic, Soy-Free |
|
Kendamil – 2 |
Whole Milk, Whey (50/50 whey/casein ratio) |
Lactose | Milk fat, Sunflower, Coconut, Rapeseed, oils | GOS (prebiotic) | None | 1.2 | Organic, Soy-Free |
You are amazing for making it this far! I know it’s so hard choosing the right formula for your precious baby! You should feel really good about everything you just learned that will help you make the perfect choice.
If you’re using a European formula, I’d love to know which one, and how it’s working for you!
Happy digesting to the tiny tummies in your house,
xo Dr. Young
References:
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on the Essential Composition of Infant and Follow-on Formulae. EFSA Journal 2014; 12(7): 3760.
- European Commission; Health and Consumer Protection Directorate – General. Scientific Committee on Food. Report of the Scientific Committee on Food on the Revision of Essential Requirements of Infant Formulae and Follow-on Formulae. 2003: AXFR/CS/NUT/IF/65 Final. Brussels, Belgium.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Title 21 – Food and Drugs, Chapter I – Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services, Subchapter B – Food for Human Consumption, Part 107 – Infant Formula. Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21 (2): April 1, 2017.
- The European Commission. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/127. September 25, 2015.
Hello everybody,
I am interested to know the benefits of Hypoallergenic formula like Hipp HA 2. Seems is easier to digest for the babies. Is really like that ?
For this kind of products I founder a little difficult to find it, I saw here https://organicformula.net/product/hipp-formula-stage-2-ha/ they have it but went out of stock already.
Are really hypoallergenic formulas better than others ?
Thank you everyone
Hey Sarah
Thanks for your comment. This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. You can learn all about hypoallergenic formulas from this playlist and why some babies may benefit over others. As always, keep chatting with your doctor, take changes slowly and you are doing great!
Hello Dr Young,
I have a 2 months old baby boy and is getting Enfamil A+ but I would like to switch to a European formula. However he was born 3 weeks early and that is the reason I thought European formula will not be a good fit for him due to lesser Iron content. Now 2 months later I am still wanting to give European formula but with higher Iron.
Can you please recommend which European formula has the highest iron?
Also the above table- is it per 100ml or per 100kcals?
Also is there a comparison chart between Enfamil A+ and European formula so that I can look at it?
Thanks
Hey Shipra
Thanks for your comments. This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I would definitely talk with your Doctor because your baby was born slightly early. We love offering information when it comes to the science behind formula but we aren’t medical doctors. That said this chart on the shortage page is a good breakdown of the FDA approved foreign formulas that you could use to compare. And I believe the chart is 100kcals based on the verbiage on this page ” The FDA requires US infant formulas to have between 0.15 – 3.30 mg/100kcal iron.
The European Commission requires European Infant Formula (babies 0 – 6 months) to have between 0.3 – 1.3 mg/100kcal iron.
The European Commission requires European Follow-On Formula (babies 6 – 12 months) to have between 0.6 – 1.7 mg/100kcal iron.”
Take any changes slowly, chat with your doctor and you are doing a great job mama!
Dr. Young,
I have a question concerning hypoallergenic European formula. With my first child in 2021 I supplemented with Loulouka due to a poor latch and low supply for the first month or two. When I found out I was expecting twins in 2022 I started worrying about milk supply and also worrying about the formula shortage so I began to slowly order a couple of different formulas to keep just in case. My twins were born at the beginning of September and after a month I began having difficulty keeping up. I had previously purchased ByHeart and Kendamil. Baby girl has done great with both but baby boy seems to possibly have a milk sensitivity. He often develops a rash. I purchased HIPP HA stage 1 and he has done well with it but our problem is the smell. It smells fishy. I’m assuming it’s the fish oil DHA used in making the formula. But his spit up has a fishy smell also. Is there any other European formula that is hypoallergenic that you recommend? One that doesn’t smell so horrible? Thank you for your time!
Hey mama
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Congrats on your twins! You are a rockstar. I am already impressed. First here is a great article on carbs and has a video on the same page about lactose intolerance that may help you decide if your baby truly has a milk allergy. This is another great video about lactose intolerance. This is also a great ingredient breakdown of all the FDA approved European formulas. I don’t believe there are any HA formulas on this list but it is also helpful to know what are available due to the shortage. Hope some of this helps you. I know it isn’t the exact answer but hopefully you can find some tools to help you move forward. As always, chat with your doctor, take changes slowly and you are doing great mama!!-Emily
Hello Dr Young – My son is 6 months old and since 2 months old, he has been on soy formula, as he did not tolerate and lactose for unas. I am not happy to read the labels of US based soy formula with the #1 ingredient being corn syrup. are there any European soy formulas you would recommend?
Hey Aida
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I spoke with Dr. Young and unfortunately European soy formula is just not available. But like Dr. Young always says, “If your baby is thriving on soy…. wonderful!! Stick with it, and don’t doubt yourself.” Just push the corn syrup thing out of your mind and carry on because your baby is doing great! As always, check with your doctor, take changes slowly if you do decide to switch and you are doing great. If you want further information on carbohydrates and lactose intolerance then check out this article with a video included towards the end.
Thanks
Emily
Hi, thank you for taking the time to research and put this article forward. It has been so helpful! Would you be willing to make a list of retailers that are safe to purchase from? Thank you for your help!
Hey Tahmi
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Dr. Young doesn’t recommend any retailers specifically but she does give some things to look for on this article under, ” What to look for in a European Formula Supplier.” Also, because of the shortage there are some formulas that are being sold at big box stores like Target and you can find a breakdown here of all the formulas that the FDA has approved for US sale.
Hope that helps!
Hi Dr. Young,
I’ve been trying to buy the formula Hipp Hypoallergenic stage 2 but I don’t know which sites are safe to do so. Could you share some safe sites to purchase this formula. I need to buy the formula ASAP because with the shortage I only have 1 can left and can’t find anymore of the current one that I use which is the nutramigen. So I just read more about the European formulas, which I wish I read 3 years ago with my first one….. and I want to switch my little one to the Hipp formula.
Thanks!
Hey Leslie
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this shortage. I know it is so scary right now. The best rule of thumb is to follow Dr. Young’s advice on this blog for what to look for in a supplier when picking a site to order from. She also has a chart for all the FDA approved foreign formulas that should be hitting shelves in major retailers here. As always chat with your doctor, take changes slowly and you are doing great.
Emily
Hi, Thank You for great information ! I recently orderd Hipp Bio Combiotik stage 2 Dutch and Hipp Goat Milk stage 3. I understand that there is missing omega-3 components in the formula. Can we supplament these ? My Baby boy is 10 months. Thank You
Hey Kiran
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks so much for your question. I am going to give you a quote from Dr. Young from this post here ” And I’ll level with you: I have never recommended a specific formula to a family because of one of these sexy-extra ingredients. You should focus on finding the right protein/carbohydrate/fat blend that keeps your angel digesting happily. Then, IF you can get a sexy-extra in that blend – go for it! If you can’t – forget it!” I hope that helps. As always, take changes slowly, talk to your doctor and you are doing great.
Emily
I’m switching from Loulouka to Kendamil Organic Stage 1. My son currently eats 4oz every 3-4hours totaling 24-32oz a day. Should I continue the same feeding with Kendamil? Since Kendamil is full cream im not sure if it makes a difference…
Hey Angela
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks for your question. I think this video will help you when it comes to home much formula should you be feeding your baby. As always, talk to your doctor, take changes slowly to minimize reaction and you rock!
Emily
Hi Dr. Young,
I have a 9 m old girl who has been almost exclusively breast milk fed. The working full time and pumping is starting to feel like a lot and I’d like to take a bit of the pressure off with formula. Right now we have Lebenswert stage 1. She refuses a full bottle of formula, but will drink a 3:1 bottle of BM:formula.
I’m wondering what formula (I’m looking at the Euro brands) you’d recommend that is most similar to the taste of breast milk. Or what formula you have seen infants that switch from BM to formula, do the best on.
Thank you!!
Dani
Hey Dani
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Here is a great playlist of all of Dr. Young’s reviews on European Formulas. This is also a great playlist for infants that are also breastfeeding and has a great video about formula tolerance, mixing with Breastmilk and other tips that may help. As always, chat with your doctor, take changes slowly and you are doing awesome!
Emily
We are traveling to Greece in May with our baby, who will be 10 months by then. Do you know if the formulas you listed are available in Greece, or if there’s a good way to find out? We’ll be bringing some formula with us but plan to purchase more over there, and would like to have an idea of brand/type to buy before I’m standing in the grocery store trying to read Greek formula labels! For reference, she is on Kirkland Signature formula right now.
Hey Kathy
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. We don’t really have privy to what is available in what countries, unfortunately. If you can’t travel with enough formula then knowing that your formula, Kirkland, is an intact protein of Whey/Casein and it is 100% lactose which should help you look for formulas that are similiar.
Chat with your doctor and see what they say, take changes slowly if you can and have so much fun!
Emily
Great article! Can this formula be stored in the fridge if the baby doesn’t finish it?
Hi Shelly! My name is Bri, I’m Dr. Young’s assistant. To my knowledge, it is best to discard an unfinished bottle of formula after 1 hour. It is not recommended to store it in the fridge after the baby has put their mouth on the bottle nipple due to possible growth of bacteria. I hope this helps!
Hi – a few times Dr. Young has noted the importance of using the age-appropriate formula when using European formulas, particularly to make sure babies are getting enough iron in their diets. I’m considering switching my 8mo old to Hipp Comfort (from gentlease). Perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think Hipp Comfort comes in stages. Is it OK to use Hipp Comfort from 8-12 mos?
Brooke
Sorry for the delay. Correct, HiPP Comfort does not come in stages and is lower in iron. For reference, HiPP Comfort has iron at 0.91mg/100kcal.
In the US, any formula with less than 1.0 mg/100kcal of iron has to be labeled a “Low iron formula”.
So it’s something to discuss with your doctor. It really depends on if your baby has any risks of iron deficiency and if he gets any good sources of iron in his solids.
Here’s a video about solid foods that are great sources of iron.
Emily-Baby Formula Expert Team
Hi! I’ve been searching all over Dr. Young’s instagram, blog, and YouTube channel for any information about the formula “Bobbie” which is supposed to be similar to European formulas but made in the US. Is this information available or does she have plans to review this formula? Thank you!
Hey Natash
Thanks for your comment. This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. She does in fact have a video about Bobbie. You can watch it here.
As always, chat with your doctor about changes, take changes slowly and you are awesome!
Hello! Thank you for this very helpful and informative website. My question is about HIPP Bio 2 – both the regular and the Combiotik versions. I have purchased them both from Italy and France and notice the ingredient list appears to be the same as the Dutch ingredients. Do you have any knowledge about the HIPP versions available in these countries? I have also purchased the Swiss version but it definitively has the same ingredients as the German version. Thanks for any insight!
Hey Julie
Thanks for your questions. This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. All the information Dr. Young has on the formulas are from what you see on this blog and the videos on this playlist all about EU formulas.
As always, talk to your doctor, take changes slowly, and you are doing a great job!
Emily
Do you have any updated comments/information after the recent FDA recall of HiPP formula? I understand it’s focused on their labeling & iron content. I purchased HiPP Dutch Stage 1 just 2 days before the recall. I was hoping to supplement with this formula along with my frozen bmilk for my 4 month old but I’m so nervous to jump in. I like all the benefits of the HiPP but still have the concerns you outline (supply chain, iron levels, etc). Waiting to hear back from my pediatrician to discuss. Thank you for the informative review
Hey Amber
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. She actually just posted a new video about the recall on her YouTube channel this week!. You can watch it here.
Thanks so much.
Hello – I just wanted to ask a specific question about the data in this post on Loulouka Stage 1 and Stage 2. I currently use Stage 1 for my 8 month old and have been using since 4 months old. The Loulouka Stage 1 can states iron content is 0.7mg. That is different than what is stated about (1.2mg) for Stage 1 and (1.5mg) for Stage 2. I am curious where Dr. Young received this information as I cannot find anything substantiating such data. I know the Loulouka Stage 1 can states can use from Birth Onward (up to 12 months) but I am starting to question if I should move to Stage 2 given my 8 month old and the “lower iron content” than I originally thought and then Stage 3 at 10ish months.
Thank you for all the wonderful info!!
Hey Lauren
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks for your question. I am going to direct you to this newer video where she compares Kendamil vs Loulouka and discusses the iron in the EU formula. Hopefully this will give you a better idea. As always best advice I can give besides talking to your own doctor is what Dr. Young says in this post: But here’s what matters. If you are using a European formula, you really need to be using a “follow-on” formula (stage 2) once your baby is between 4 – 6 months of age to be sure they are getting enough iron in their diet.
Take any changes slowly and you are doing a great job. This is also a great video about first foods that may help you out as well!
thanks
Any update on DHA sources in EU formulas?
Second (personal) question – I currently exclusively breastfeed but am going back to work and anticipate needing formula in the future. If I don’t need to use formula until my baby is much older, say 9 months, should I start with a Stage 1 that may provide a gentler transition? (And then just make sure solids are iron rich?). It seems like Stage 1s more often have 60/40 protein ratio, and less chance of maltodextrin or starch. Or should I start with a Stage 2 that may have vitamins and minerals that are tailored more to older babies?
Thank you for making all of this amazing information accessible!!! You guys are awesome.
Hey Hannah
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks for your question. Here is the latest video about DHA in EU formulas. As far as, switching to formula later and the stages this same article is the best resource for Dr.Young’s advice.
If you are using a European formula, you really need to be using a “follow-on” formula (stage 2) once your baby is between 4 – 6 months of age to be sure they are getting enough iron in their diet. Focusing on iron-rich solid foods will also help! It’s a good conversation to have with your pediatrician who will know all of your unique baby’s risk factors for potential iron deficiency.-Dr. Young
As always, talk to your doctor, take any changes slowly and you are doing a great job mama!
Emily
Hi, my son is dairy and soy free. He is 6.5 months old and I am going to have to start supplementing. I am having a hard time determining which of these brands is actually dairy free?? (From what I have read, goat milk protein is similar to cow milk protein so he would likely also not be able to handle the goat milk formula).
Do you have an article breaking down the hypoallergenic formulas? Please help! Th
Thank you,
Megan
Hi Megan, my name is Bri. I’m Dr. Young’s assistant. You can watch Dr. Young’s video “Comparison of hypoallergenic formulas” here Dr. Young explains what makes a hypoallergenic formula different from standard formula and talks about what babies may benefit from one in the video. As always, be sure to keep open communication with your pediatrician. You should be proud of your journey! You are doing a great job mama!
Do you have any thoughts on the new US formula bobbie, since it is supposed to be modeled after European formulas but still FDA approved?
Hi Megan, my name is Bri. I’m Dr. Young’s assistant. You can watch Dr. Young’s review of Bobbie formula here. I hope this helps!
Hi. What great information! I love the table comparison, but the info is outdated 🙁 I know kendamil and lebenswert both have old information for sure. I don’t know too much about hipp and holle yet to know if they need updates but it would be great to see a more accurate chart since the new regulations went through.
Hey Rachel
Thanks so much for your inquiry. This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. If you want to check out Dr. Young’s signature course she has an entire module dedicated specifically to European Formula and the ingredient cheat sheet is up to date and nowhere else on the internet! Also as a bonus, you are able to ask any lingering Qs after the course and Dr. Young takes top priority to her students!
Thanks
Emily
Hello!
I have a question about baby poop in regards to allergies/intolerances. If there’s mucus in the poop, does that mean there’s an allergy/intolerance to that formula? My LO has some mucus in his poop, but the diaper isn’t full of mucus. I’m thinking I need a partially hydrolyzed formula. Thoughts?
Hey Audra
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thank you for your question. First thing is first, I know Dr. Young would say the same thing. We are not pediatricians so mucus in your baby’s stool is a medical question for your doctor. Since we don’t know a lot about your child’s age, current formula etc, we can’t offer much more information but if you would like to change to a partially hydrolyzed formula for a diagnostic test to see if that changes anything then that would be a good start. Check with your doctor first and foremost! If you decide to change take those changes very slowly and you are doing a great job loving your sweet baby!
Emily
Hi!
Thank you for all of your help and research. It has been invaluable to me.
My husband and I are expecting our first in early June, with the help of our amazing gestational carrier and egg donor. After a ton of research and watching your rundown on European formulas, we’ve decided that we’d like to start out by tryingHIPP Dutch stage 1. I received our first can from one of your recommended suppliers several days ago. However, I found out that the hospital where we will deliver will only allow us to bring in “ready to feed” formula which means I need a replacement if I don’t want to use the hospital’s formula …and I’m not exactly eager for that;).
Searching around, I saw that HIPP does have a few RTF products: PRE and stage 1.
My questions for you are—
-which one would you recommend for a new newborn? (at this point, while we are hoping our GC will pump colostrum, the situation still isn’t clear)
-do you have a recommendation for where we might purchase this item? (somewhere that might meet or come close to meeting the criteria in your video/blog post). I don’t want to be that prototypical first time nervous mom, but I’m hesitant to purchase something that could make our child sick.
Thanks so much for your help!
Hey Jen
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Congrats on your little one! June is so soon and so exciting. I am going to give you a few videos and articles that may help you in your journey. First this article and this video are great for formula feeding from birth and some tips for how to handle the hospital setting. Unfortunately, we don’t have much information in purchasing RTF outside of the suppliers Dr. Young recommends on her site on this article. If you decide to use a different formula for the hospital and then switch just make sure you make those changes slowly when you get back home. Check with your child’s pediatrician and you are going to be a great mom! It will be so beautiful and magical! You’ve got this. Dr. Young’s course is always available should you have questions once you begin your feeding journey! Emily
Hi,
My daughter is 6.5 months old, and I started her on HiPP Dutch 2 about a week ago, which she was initially tolerating well, but then about 6 days later, had projectile vomiting every time she drank it. Any ideas what could have caused that so many days later? Can they develop a hypersensitivity a week later even? I have put her on the Earth’s Best reduced lactose formulation for sensitive stomachs which she has done well with the last two days, but would really love to try a European formula again, just uncertain which one would work for her. Can you please provide any insight into which one may work for her?
Thanks!
Hey Preetha
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks for your question and I am so sorry you had such a rough change! Since I don’t know much about what your daughter was on prior before switching I can’t really diagnosis the problem BUT I will say that this video from Dr. Young on how to switch formula safely to minimize reactions may be helpful if you were to try again. I hope that helps! As always check with your child’s pediatrician about changes and like the video suggests take those changes slowly and you are awesome! Keep loving that sweet baby
Emily
Hello Dr.Young (or Emily) !
I’m a big fan of kendamil’s formula profile it meets all the important composition checklist, however it’s hard to find and really pricey. .. Big deception here! I am wondering what happens if using Holle Pre over 6 months? I know it’s not advised but I’m wondering why? Holle is really accessible for me in Canada and more affordable, I have used it for my first baby back in 2014,it was a game changer I was impressed (yellow stools just like my breast wow!). But I hate the fact that it has maltodextrin on top of the palm oil I’m already tolerating. I don’t get it, why using maltodextrin and palm oil in such dedicated organic brands (even biodynamic!)? Why is everyone complaining about maltodextrin and these companies not listening..! Is it only a matter of price, or is there a benefit of using it, its sugar why would we want that. All to say, Pre is cleaner and has cream which is a plus, I would at least be happy staying on that one.
Thank you for existing! You’re making it so much easier <3
Andree
Hey Andree
This is Emily :), Dr. Young’s assistant. Thanks for your email and awesome questions. To answer your question about stages and why it is important to use the correct stage I’m going to direct you to this video Dr. Young did all about European Formula. I think around the 7 min mark or so is when she discusses the stages. In regards to your concern about maltodextrin, Dr. Young has a great blog article here called, “Why is There Sugar in Baby Formula,” that may help answer some of your related questions and concerns.
I hope this helps and gives you some peace of mind in your decisions. As always check with your child’s doctor first, take any changes slowly and you are doing an awesome job investing in your little one’s feeding journey!!
Emily
Hi! Thank you for this incredibly informative article. I’m 4 month old has a suspected cows milk protein intolerance and soy as well (blood in his stool even after cutting dairy).
My research has me thinking that HiPP HA1 formula would work for him as it’s fully hydrolyzed. Is that correct or do you recommend a different formula? I prefer organic if possible.
Thanks!!
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for reaching out. My name is Bri, I’m Dr. young’s assistant. I’ll provide you with a few resources to help. It looks like you’ve already been doing some research so you’re doing a great job momma! It’s very important to keep open communication with your pediatrician especially with an intolerance or allergy suspected. With that being said, hydrolyzed formulas are sometimes easier for younger infants to digest. You can learn more in Dr. Young’s article about protein type here. If you and your doctor decide that a hydrolyzed formula is best, you can read “How to choose the best ‘gentle’ formula for your baby” here. The US unfortunately does not have an organic fully hydrolyzed formula option available. Lastly, be sure to check out more information on Dr. Young’s baby formula course for parents where she provides you with her step-by-step method on how to choose the best formula for your sweet little one. She addresses these specific issues that you mentioned in the course. You can learn more about the course here. I have full confidence in you, you got this!
Thanks for directing me to that video Emily.
One thing I can’t decipher is the sugar stated in the nutrition table. Kendamil is 100% lactose, can you help me understand why i sugar is also stated?
Hey Sue
Here is a great article that explains Carbs & Sugars in baby formula that Dr. Young wrote. I hope that helps clear some of it up. There is also a video about lactose intolerance on the page that has a lot of the nerdy fun science info in it as well!
Hope that helps
Emily
I’d love to hear your opinion on kendamil’s marketing on whole milk – is it really better? And why do I see sugars in their nutrition table? I’m quite confused and concerned about this. I have tasted it and it does come across as sweet.
Another popular brand you could add as a comparison is Nan by Nestle!
Hey Sue
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I wanted to direct you to a video that Dr. Young recently did on Kendamil. I am not sure if you have watched it already but she goes over all the details, breaks down the nutrition and gives pointers to decide if this is right for your baby. She does not compare to Nan by Nestle but does compare Holle Pre and Loulouka.
Hope this helps!
Emily
Thank you so much!! My little is officially a year old and we have been breastfeeding and fortifying bottles at night with Holle stage 1&2(cow) and stage 3 Goat formul (under doctor supervision) to help with weight gain. Finding your youtube channel and your website was life changing. Thank you so much. We had one messy diaper the first time but never since. We tried other formulas and had massive blow outs.
Holle love it!!!
I share your information with all my pregnant friends. Thank you so much again for your hard work.
MacKenzie
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thank you so very much for your kind words. We appreciate the feedback and I agree 100% from personal experience that Dr. Young’s website and videos are life changing! Thank you for referring your friends as well! We love helping new parents. And if they need further help beyond the site and videos Dr. Young always has her Formula Course they can take.
Thanks again and Congrats on celebrating one year! Way to go
Emily
Hi! My daughter is currently 5 months old and in the 97th percentile in weight and height. She’s taking 6oz of Aptamil 5x a day and the doctor is suggesting we dilute it with an extra ounce of water… to make sure she doesn’t have a growth spurt outside her growth curve. We don’t want her to be overweight and are worried it may be our formula selection? If yes, which European brand is best for slowing weight gain?
Second, do you think we should switch to stage 2 in a month or just keep her as is since stage 2 is even higher in nutrition?
Thank you so much!
Hey Deanna,
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. Thank you so much for your question. I know your little one is so precious. I know first thing Dr. Young always says to talk to your doctor before making any changes, to make those changes slowly and that you are an awesome mom! To give you a little direction she does have an extensive Youtube library and you can see all her videos on European Formula here-she also has one in this playlist specifically about Aptamil.
I also know in this blog post she does address the stages by saying: “The important thing to know is that: if you choose a European Formula, it’s pretty dang important to get the right stage for your baby’s age! The nutrition is much more tailored for specific age groups.”
Also another video that may be helpful for you would be the video where she starts to discuss first solid foods.
I hope these help you on your feeding journey. You are doing awesome loving on that little baby!
Emily
Hi,
How would HiPP Combatil HA pre compare to earths best gentle formula? I think my baby has a sensitivity to dairy (she gets bumps on her face I’ve noticed after we supplement with formula, even the gentle version). Are European HA formulas as extensively hydrolyzed as US European formulas?
Thanks!
Hey Christine
This is Emily, Dr. Perry’s assistant. I wanted to direct you to two videos that I think can help with your little one. The first would be Dr. Young’s video about lactose intolerance to help you decide about your little one’s sensitivity and she also has a video that compares all the US Hypoallergenic formulas and at around 12 min she discusses HiPPs HA formula.
I hope these help you with your little one’s issues. As always talk to your doctor, take any changes slowly and you are doing an awesome job!
Emily
Have you made the post yet on HiPPs hypoallergenic formulas? How would that compare to earths best gentle formula? Are the proteins broken down more in HiPPs true hypoallergenic formula vs just a gentle formula?
Hi Doctor,
My 3 month old is on HIPP Comfort. He was on the German HIPP stage 1 previously but he was extremely constipated. He’s been on the new formula for about 3 weeks now and has a bowel movement every 1-3 days, with a dark green diarrhea consistency. We are not sure if this formula is the right choice for him but are trying to be patient to give his digestive system some time to adjust.
Sadly, he was doing really well on Enfamil neuropro but I felt uneasy that that formula has traces of arsenic in it.
Hey Michelle,
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I am so sorry to hear about your little one having a little trouble with his digestive system. I would go along with what Dr. Young says and tell you that take any new formula transition slowly and also allow for about 10 days on the new formula to see how they do. I also wanted to direct you to a video that Dr. Young did on the Clean Label Project in regards to contaminants including lead and arsenic found in baby formulas. She really does an excellent job spelling out the study and how to understand it in regards to your formula choices. Hopefully that helps you, in case you decide to switch back to Enfamil.
As always-check with your doctor, take any changes slowly and you are doing a great job!
Hello Dr.young
What do you think of kendamil organic stage 1 formula?
Hey Stephanie,
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. So sorry for the delay in response but I have exciting news! Dr. Young just did a happy hour video of Kendamil formula on You Tube. I am linking it here.
Hope this helps!
Emily
Hi Dr. Young,
Is the HiPP Dutch Stage 2 1mg of iron per ounce? I am trying to figure out if my little one Is getting the recommend 11 mg of iron a day. We currently supplement with this formula and she isn’t the biggest fan of solids yet so I am worried if she is getting enough iron. Thanks for your amazing site.
Molly
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. I am so sorry for the delay on this response but I wanted to go ahead and reply to you so that you have your answer and perhaps someone else who is curious about this same topic also can see it.
Dr. Young has a video about HiPP and at around 12:46 she specifically discuss the iron conversion compared to US formulas. She also has a great video about best first foods that gives a few unconventional ideas about solids for your little one that can help provide the necessary nutrients, like iron.
I hope this helps and I know you are doing a great job feeding and loving your little baby!
Emily
Hi Dr. Young,
Wondering if you have any knowledge about the UK’s Organic Kendamil Infant formula? After reviewing the ingredients it is my top choice, however pricey.
Thank you for your time,
Hattie
Hi Hattie! Thanks so much for reaching out. My name is Bri, I’m Dr. Young’s assistant. You have most likely made your decision by now (sorry for the delayed response) but I wanted to make sure to reply. Although I have heard of Kendamil before, I am not too familiar with it. However, Dr. Young always says it’s all about the list of ingredients! You can use this chart of European formulas to have an idea of what to look at when reviewing the list of ingredients and how they compare. You may also enjoy Dr. Young’s happy hour video on European formula. I hope you and your precious baby are doing well and that you find this helpful!
Hi Dr. Young,
Thank you for all your articles! They are so helpful. My husband and I are hoping to adopt an infant, and it’s important to me that we choose a good formula. After reading through several of your articles, I decided I wanted to start with a formula that was partially hydrolyzed protein. What are your thoughts on HiPP HA Combiotik formula? They’re the only formula that I found so far that has partially hydrolyzed protein, has lactose as the primary ingredient, is organic, and does not contain soy.
Hey ET,
This is Emily, Dr. Young’s assistant. How exciting you are adopting. Such a special journey you and your husband are on. Not sure if you were aware but Dr. Young does have a youtube video where she compares all the hypoallergenic formulas and does include Hipp in that comparison. You can watch it here.
Hope that helps and thinking of you on your journey!
Emily
Hello All,
I hope you all are well.
I was wondering if someone knows a formula that is dairy free, sugar free and trusted?
Thank you,
Hi Lisa,
Unfortunately, all soy formulas are 100% lactose-free, so they need to have alternative sugars to be sure the baby gets carbohydrates to grow. So, there is no vegan sugar-free formula available.
hi, I have a 6 month old girl and it’s time to change to powdered milk . I have tried a couple of types but at the moment the only one which she may drink is goats milk dg-1 from new zealand because it’s a bit sweeter but she still doesn’t really like it . Please Suggest me which one formula will be better for her.
Hi Rosie! Congrats on making it to 6 months… what a milestone! I don’t think I can help very much since I think you must be out of the US. I’m not even familiar with dg-1! But in general, if you found something that she will at least take and she’s healthy, then I suggest sticking with it! At 6 months, you have the whole wide world of solid foods open to you to help meet her nutrition needs. So if she is taking smaller volumes of formula, you can really focus on getting healthy fats and proteins into her with her solid foods. Here are a few articles to get you started with some tips to really maximize the nutrition she gets with her solids. This is a video about shopping for solid foods, and then mixing them up at home to maximize nutrition.
I have been using Holle for my baby girl, She seems to enjoy it and is growing fast.
I was at first buying formula from local store at first but then i started buying from formulaRUs website. It’s so much easier to choose on this website and Im getting good bundle deals.
A detailed article regarding European formulas and explained it in the most pleasant way. Thank you very much for sharing such an outstanding article with us. Now, I’m looking forward to reading more such articles in the coming days.
This is one of the most amazing articles I have ever read in the recent time. Thank you very much for sharing this kind of stuff with us and I’m looking forward to reading more such articles in the future as well.
Andrew,
This is Emily, Dr.Young’s assistant. Sorry for the long overdue response. Thank you so much for the kind words in regards to Dr. Young’s site. We truly appreciate it. We have been so busy launching Dr. Young’s new formula course and if it s something you are interested in feel free to check it out and let us know what you think!
Emily
For some reason I can’t access the chart for the European formulas. I see the first 3 columns but then can’t scroll to see everything to the right. Is there another way I can access this?
Thanks!
sorry Katie! It’s so big. You may have to open it on a desktop or tablet. If you scroll down to the bottom of the chart, you’ll see a horizontal scroll bar that will allow you to scroll over to see the extra columns.
Hello! I am wondering why you didn’t mark hipp stage 2 UK as soy free as well? I just received the box and don’t find any soy lecithin or soy oil in the ingredients list. Which other ingredient has soy in this formula? Thanks!!
just a mistake! thanks!
Hi Dr. Young,
I am having a bit of anxiety over picking a new formula for my soon to be 6 month old. She is currently on Holle Pre. I originally though about Hipp Dutch stage 2. I also really like Loulouka but stage 2 has maltodexetrin. I also like Bimbosan (the ingredient list looks great) however i cant find much information on it. Also the only site that carries it isn’t on your recommended list, i know it doesn’t mean it not legit but would be much more relieving if you had vetted it. Any thoughts on Bimbosan?
Hi Ana, I don’t consider myself an expert on European brands… but Bimbosan and Loulouka seem pretty much the same at first glance. After you’ve read my articles, YOU are an expert! Look at the ingredients on each, decide which is best for your unique baby, trust your intuition. And of course – clear it with your doctor 🙂 You got this Mama!
Thanks for this helpful article! I was sad that due to health issues I was unable to breastfeed so we went with EU formula due to the healthier ingredients. Just wanted to let you know that Hipp UK does not contain soy.
Yes, thank you! That was a mistake and I fixed it. Everybody’s human! (and a little sleep deprived 🙂
Hi Dr!
What an amazingly informative article and blog. Thank you!
My daughter is 5 weeks old and we have been supplementing with Similac Pro Advance since she was born. 30% breastmilk, 70% formula. She loves it but i was hoping to switch to a better/ cleaner option with fewer potentially harmful ingredients. I like the Holle Pre since some of the fat comes from milk fat. I can’t decide between that and Dutch Hipp Combiotic since that has DHA (right?). I am also planning to give her Evivo probiotics in addition so the probiotic element of Hipp is less of a diver. Would love your recommendation!
Thanks a million!
Rashna, you are the sweetest, thank you! Honestly, I can’t give you a recommendation. My rule is “If baby is thriving, don’t change it.” But both the Holle Pre and the Dutch HiPP are intact protein formulas with similar whey/protein ratios to Similac Pro Advance, so your baby will likely tolerate either well if she is doing well on Pro Advance. Trust your intuition! (And of course, clear any formula change with your doctor first). Good luck Mama!
Hi Doctor. My baby is almost three months old and my low milk supply caused me to switch to formula about two months ago. I exclusivley breast fed until she was a month old and then started supplementing.
I supplemented with Similac Pro Advance for a bit. We then tried Earth’s Best (wanted to give baby organic formula bc I assumed it was better) for about two weeks but that led to severe constipation for my LO (poor baby strained and strained and turned red until we assisted her with getting pebbles out of her butt). We then tried Lebenswert Stage one and she did great on it initially but she is having poop issues again.
At times she can get poop out herself and it’ll be grainy and loose but sometimes we have to assist her by massaging her little anus and using the Windi. If my LO did great on Lebenswert for a while (and sporadically still does and will sometimes poop three times a day) could the recent constipation/less frequent (once every day or two and it’ll be clay like or a little harder) bowel movements be caused by the Lebenswert formula? Would you recommend a switch? If yes, which other European formula is better for constipation? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
Hi Elma! I am so sorry to hear you’re dealing with constipation! It is SO sad to have to see your baby strain so hard … great job helping her along when she get so blocked up she has “pebbles”. The higher casein (70%) and palm oil in Earth’s Best could have contributed to the increased constipation. So finding a formula with higher whey (like Lebenswert) and/or no palm oil might help. also, if your baby is doing a bit better now (which it sounds like) you may be able to introduce a few other hacks that will allow her to be more regular without changing formulas. Ask your pediatrician if they have a protocol for using tiny amounts of prune juice to help if baby is beginning to get uncomfortable. Also, Mommy’s Bliss sells a magnesium-based baby constipation supplement which helps soften stools. Ask you doctor how they feel about using something like that “as needed”. changing formulas is a big deal! It’s hard to decide when the switch is worth it, and when to try to work with what you are using. Trust yourself and let your Mommy intuition help you make that decision. Good luck!!!
If my baby has presumed cows milk protein allergy, even HiPP comfort won’t work for her? It is broken down and has a decreased amount of lactose. I have given it to her mixed with my breast milk over the past 3-4 days and she hasn’t had any reaction yet. Knock on wood. Also – comfort not like the other HiPP formulas that you have to move up a stage as the baby ages?
Hi Alexa! I have a comparison of partially hydrolyzed formulas here that shows the difference between HiPP Comfort and US competitors. To answer you question: of course you need to check with your doc. A “presumed” allergy is hard since it’s not a confirmed allergy and babies fall into this category with a WIDE range in severity of their symptoms. If your baby has a true allergy to cow’s milk protein, then HiPP Comfort (or any other partially hydrolyzed formula) will not be borken down enough and your baby will need a true Hypoallergenic formula (Nutramigen, Alimentum, or Gerber HA). Since your LO is down well on the Comfort, she may just have a sensitivity to intact milk protein, or to casein protein specifically (since HiPP Comfort is 100% whey-based). That sounds like great news to me! As long as your doc is OK with it, my advice is always: “If it’s working – don’t change it!” I hope that helps!
Hi doctor Young,
Do you have any recommendations on non milk based formula (ideally European or other without corn syrup)? My baby is allergic to milk and we’re looking for alternatives. We were using Lebenswart Stage 1 up until now.
Thank you!
Hi Ines! Well, I have some sad news – if your baby has a cow’s milk allergy, then there are no US formulas that are hypo-allergenic and contain lactose. Your choices are: Alimentum, Nutramigen, or Gerber HA. all of these are lactose-free. I know that is super disappointing BUT if your baby has an allergy to cow’s milk protein then having a formula that keeps provoking the allergy will keep him/her from absorbing all the nutrients from the formula and continually inflamed. So, even though the ingredients aren’t what you are hoping for – they are the healthiest choice for your special one! Also remember that most littles outgrow their allergy so this is likely temporary. Your doc will help you decide when you can try re-introducing a different formula that has the ingredients you are looking for. Good luck mama!
Hi Doctor. My baby is almost three months old and my low milk supply caused me to switch to formula about two months ago. I exclusivley breast fed until she was a month old and then started supplementing.
I supplemented with Similac Pro Advance for a bit. We then tried Earth’s Best (wanted to give baby organic formula bc I assumed it was better) for about two weeks but that led to severe constipation for my LO (poor baby strained and strained and turned red until we assisted her with getting pebbles out of her butt). We then tried Lebenswert Stage one and she did great on it initially but she is having poop issues again.
At times she can get poop out herself and it’ll be grainy and loose but sometimes we have to assist her by massaging her little anus. If my LO did great on Lebenswert for a while (and sporadically still does and will sometimes poop three times a day) could the recent constipation/less frequent (once every day or two and it’ll be clay like or a little harder) bowel movements be caused by the Lebenswert formula? Would you recommend a switch? If yes, which other European formula is better for constipation? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
Hi Elma! I am so sorry to hear you’re dealing with constipation! It is SO sad to have to see your baby strain so hard … great job helping her along when she get so blocked up she has “pebbles”. The higher casein (70%) and palm oil in Earth’s Best could have contributed to the increased constipation. So finding a formula with higher whey (like Lebenswert) and/or no palm oil might help. also, if your baby is doing a bit better now (which it sounds like) you may be able to introduce a few other hacks that will allow her to be more regular without changing formulas. Ask your pediatrician if they have a protocol for using tiny amounts of prune juice to help if baby is beginning to get uncomfortable. Also, Mommy’s Bliss sells a magnesium-based baby constipation supplement which helps soften stools. Ask you doctor how they feel about using something like that “as needed”. changing formulas is a big deal! It’s hard to decide when the switch is worth it, and when to try to work with what you are using. Trust yourself and let your Mommy intuition help you make that decision. Good luck!!!
Update your chart – Hipp 1 (german) has a starch! I live in Germany and looked into this in detail. This is only true for Germany’s Hipp 1.
I noticed that with the Hipp HA1 and the Hipp UK stage 1, in most cases your baby would not meet the recommended Choline intake of 125mg per day. If you has 6-6oz bottles in the day you would get somewhere between 55-80mg. How important is it to get the recommended choline intake of 125mg?
What do you think of Loulouka formula? Any recommendations of reputable places to purchase it? I think it is relatively new, so not available on the two sites you recommend. Thanks!
Hi! Yes it is new. I did a review of it here. I haven’t spoken with any of the sites that are carrying it so I can’t speak them either way… sorry I can’t be more helpful there.
I recently started my baby on Bimbosan Organic Stage 1 formula, because I was looking for a formula that has super clean ingredients. The formula my baby was on previously was Enfamil Neuropro (I chose this before doing any research on formulas, and had the thought “more is better”). My baby was constipated and having stomach pains on Neuropro, and since switching he seems much happier and is back to normal breastmilk type poops. My baby gets about 75% breastmilk and 25% formula.
I guess my question is, are MFGM, lactoferrin, 2-FL, pre/probiotics, DHA sooo important that I should sacrifice ingredient quality for the “sexy extras”? Is the research about increased cognition in MFGM supplemented babies solid enough to go that route? I guess I just get nervous because no long term studies have been done on these extras. However, I don’t want my baby to not be getting the best! What would you recommend? Are these extras safe?
Thanks for this helpful article. My daughter was exclusively breastfed for about 5-6 months, now she’s 10.5 months and is breastfeeding but also eating solids. I’m a working mom and I plan to wean her off breastmilk when she’s a year old, but I’ve been scared because I had an issue with supply right when she clocked 6 months, and decided to experiment with Enfamil NeuroPro (she rejected it and barely had a taste but she had an allergic reaction – her lips swelled, and her face was red), two days later we decided to try Aptamil (she broke out in hives). The only thing she has not reacted to is Gerber cereals (the single and multigrain). When I tried Greek Yoghurt as well, I didn’t let her have a full allergic reaction before giving her an allergy medicine but she had begun to scratch her face immediately, and started turning red. This kind of gave me an inkling that it had to do with cow’s milk and soy lecithin, but I plan to do a proper allergy exam soon although I’m not sure it will be before her first birthday.
Which of these organic baby formulas would you recommend?
Hi Nikki – you definitely need to talk to your pediatrician and get a referral to see an allergist (which I am not!). But I can tell you – if she is allergic to cow’s milk protein, then NONE of these formulas will be a good choice for her since they are all intact protein based. Your allergist will help you navigate if she needs a hypoallergenic formula based on her test results and symptoms. I am so sorry you are dealing with this … certainly no fun 🙁
My 10 month old is constipated and is on holle goat stage 2. Do you have any recommendations on switching formulas etc? Thank you
Hi Suzanne, I am so sorry! Constipation can be such a bear! Obviously I don’t know your little one so can’t speak directly to your issue but you have lots you can try. First, you have lots of options with solids that may help (prune puree, pear puree, etc). If it is severe enough that you think a formula change is warranted, check out my article about goat milk formula options (if you want to stay in the goat milk family). Kabrita does not use conventional palm oil, which results in softer stools so may provide some relief. Now Kabrita is technically a toddler formula so you MUST speak with your pediatrician and get their “OK” before using it. Some pediatricians are fine using that formula for healthy 10-12 month olds – but you need to clear it with your own doctor. Also, if you want to consider a switch to cow’s milk based, all of Similac’s formulas avoid palm oil and thus may provide some relief for the same reason. Good luck Mama!
Hi Dr!
I have a 3 month old baby and I am primarily breastfeeding. I pump while at work and nurse him anytime I am home. However, I’m not pumping quite enough while at work to supplement his biggg appetite while I’m gone so we have had to start supplementing 1 bottle per day of formula. I had been using RTF Enfamil Neuropro, because I liked all of the additions of MFGM, DHA, nucleotides, prebiotics and the focus on neuro development. I also saw the research Enfamil posted of MFGM supplementation and increased developmental scores, along with claims of DHA boosting neurodevelopment. So I chose the formula with all these “extras” thinking why not provide him with all of these great things?
However, now I’ve gone down the research rabbit hole and have discovered the controversy behind so many formula ingredients. Hexane extracted DHA and ARA, carrageenan, nucleotides, l-carnitine, taurine, soy oil, and palm olein oil are ALL in my baby’s formula. My eagerness to give him all of the best ingredients is now making me nervous. Would it be better for me to choose something such as Loulouka that has NONE of these things? Since he is getting most of these great additions from my milk? Or Baby’s Only with Whey looks like another great alternative that skips almost all of the extras and is available in the US.. I guess my question is, which ones are the worst to watch out for? Carageenan sounds horrible, palm oil “soaps” make me nervous, and soy ingredients also don’t sound good for baby.
I just want to give my baby the best that I can when I can’t give him my milk and I am so torn on what to do. He has no tummy issues, sensitivity, or taste preferences that I have seen. Am I being crazy by wanting to avoid all of these things? What would you recommend? My ped told me to “pick whatever formula I think is best”…. which led me here!
Hi Ryan, this is SUCH a great question. I’m not going to be able to answer them all since every baby is different, but I can give you a few resources that will help. First ALL formulas are safe. There is no such thing as a “poison” formula and no parent should have to suffer feeling fear about choosing a formula. But every baby is different and may thrive off different choices. If you are still breastfeeding then YES – there is no formula that actually matches the goodness of breast milk. All those “sexy” ingredients are based on breast milk but don’t add up to the real thing. So (in my opinion), if you are giving your own breast milk (which is tailored to your baby), then those extra ingredients become less important to consider – since he’s getting the real thing. Other things to consider: how MUCH breast milk/formula is your baby getting (mostly breast milk)? How old is your baby? (DHA research focuses on premature babies and newborns)? and most importantly – how is your baby tolerating the main ingredients (protein/carbohydrate/fat)?
Here are a few videos that may help: Hexane extracted ingredients; Palm oil and “soaps”; and science behind MFGM. I hope that is helpful Mama!
Hi, my LO is 7 weeks old. I breastfeed primarily but supplement formula a few times a day for ease and simply because I am still not producing enough milk to keep him full and happy. My LO is fussy due to gas… which of these would you suggest to cut down the gas? It seems like American brands tend to use corn syrup :/.
Any guidance is appreciated.
Hello!
I am a first time mom to be and have been doing my research on formulas. A lot of these European formulas listed include palm oil, which I had read can lead to a decrease in bone density mass. Is that not accurate? Also, what kind of websites do you use to translate preparation instructions?
This has helped me so much, Thankyou for all the research you’ve done! My baby is 9 months and been breastfed, and is eating solids now. I have a stash of frozen breast milk that i started using 2 weeks ago when my supply dropped so she is fully weaned from me but is still getting breast milk, my stash is dropping quickly and I would like to fill in some feedings with formula to slowly transition to just formula when my stash is gone. My questions, what stage do you suggest and is there something I should look for in which formula I choose to best accompany her also having breast milk? Thankyou in advance!
I am thinking about switch from Gerber Soothe to HIPP comfort (because it is partially hydrolyzed as well). Is the protein source the same? How about the carbohydrates? My baby has done well on the Gerber formula but has experienced significant constipation issues so we thinks it’s time to make a switch. Any advice on this? Our pediatrician isn’t overly familiar with European formulas but she trusts me and my research and is comfortable with us trying something new.
THANK YOU!!
I got you Mama! Here’s all the deets to compare!
Dr. Young, thank you so much for your entire website! This has been such a great resource in educating myself about the various formulas on the market and has enabled my husband and I to make a choice for our daughter that we believe is the best for us. My daughter is almost 6 months and has been doing great with HiPP UK! I’m curious if you have any insight into recent changes in FDA’s enforcement of rules and regulations relating to importers of European formula into the US. I’m aware that since these formulas have not been approved by the FDA their sales in the US are not legal, but recently (in the past couple of months) several trusted retailers, including Baby Kind Market stopped carrying all or almost all European formula. I’m trying to figure out what to do for the next 6 months – do I stock up now while there’s still a chance? Do I wait? I haven’t been able to find any information on this and the retailers are obviously unable to share their reasons for stopping to carry these products due to legal issues. I would love to hear whether you have any insight into this.
so this reply is too late to be helpful – but I don’t have any insight 🙁 Organic Start stopped carrying formula too but obviously other retailers have remained open. No retailers have given me any info and the FDA hasn’t released any details either… but it’s certainly concerning if you are using one of these formulas!
Hi! My son is almost 8 months old and has been solely breastfed, but being a working Mom my supply is starting to drop. I want to start mixing formula in the next month or so. I was looking at all 3 brands and was hoping you would do a ranking as I am not sure which one is better. I don’t know if the extra’s in the HiPP is good or not. HELP!!
Hi Nicole – CONGRATS on making it breastfeeding for so long – that is beyond an accomplishment! First, I would clarify that “solely breastfed” you mean no formula (and not no solid food). By 8 months, I would definitely like to see healthy solids introduced, so I would start there if you haven’t. If you are working on solids and just need some formula to help keep up with his demand, there is now “best” option. Usually, if Moms are planning to continue providing breast milk, then I don’t care as much about all the extras since they don’t come close to the individualized extras that are in your milk. So if you still plan on providing some breast milk, then focus on quality source of the major ingredients first. All of these are great options …. as long as your doctor is comfortable with you using a European formula! You also have great American choices, and the same principle would apply there. You are doing a great job!!
Hi great post thank you! Helped me decide to go with Dutch HIPP for our twins we are expecting, in case we have to supplement breast milk.
I remember seeing somewhere that formula shouldn’t be x-rayed during transportation / customs at the border. Can you speak to this? I’m about to order from Little Organics and they don’t mention if they transport by air or sea or if it’s xrayed. I will check with them but I’d love to understand more.
Thank you so much!!!
Hi Dr. Thanks for all the info – as a new mom, I really appreciate it!
My son is 2 months old. Due to low milk supply, we had to supplement from week 1 with formula. We started him with Similac Organic (what the hospital had). He gained weight but was uncomfortable due to gas and not being able to poop every day. Recently, I realized Similac has cane sugar and was terrified; so we switched to HiPP stage 1. Overall, he seems happy with it – pooping better and less gassy – but he is drinking less ounces. Could it be that the caloric intake per ounce of HiPP is higher than Similac? Thanks in advance!
Yes! but it’s a very tiny difference. Similac formulas are 19cal/oz and other formulas are 20cal/oz
Really detailed information about European formula. I was searching for such article and confused regarding the same. After visiting this article regarding organic formulas, I have cleared my doubts and looking forward to reading this kind of articles in the future as well.
Hi Dr. Young!
Thanks you so much for sharing such incredibly important information! I love the way you write! Our six month old has only been on breast milk, until recently, when I started him with a little baby oatmeal, some sweet potato and the Loulouka formula once or twice a day. Breast milk is still primary. Organic Start, where I purchased Loulouka, is not allowed to sell European formula anymore. I imagine many online sources in the states may not because of regulatory reasons. I would still like to have an organic, grass-fed, lactose included, formula that meets all the nutritional requirements, and doesn’t add anything harmful. Seems simple, but I still don’t know what to use. I know we all just want to nourish our babies the best way possible, and breast milk isn’t always an option. Is there a best European option you recommend for a breastfed six month old? Thanks so much!
One of the big retailers of EU formulas – Organic Start – just stopped selling all formula citing regulatory issues. Do you have any idea what this is about? I just placed a large order on BabyKind Market thankfully, but curious if something is going to be changing on the ability to purchaseEU formula?
Your website is great! Looking at your comparison it doesn’t seem like there are any European formulas with higher iron content AND with DHA. All the options with DHA seem to have lower iron. All the options with higher iron have no DHA. Do you have an opinion on which of those two things are more important to focus on? Is it reasonable to supplement either of those ingredients with food instead of worrying about them being in the formula or not? For reference, my baby is 8 months old and healthy. She’s been breastfed so far but we’re moving her to 100% formula. Thank you!!
what great questions! Obliviously talk to your doctor about supplementing anything. But with healthy 8 month olds- you can feed FOOD! Just be sure she gets a good source of iron and DHA in her solids and you don’t have to worry either way. Feed her some soft wild-caught salmon and some meat puree and hard boiled egg yolks (or any other good sources of these nutrients), weekly and you’re good to go Mama!
Thank you so much for all the information! I think I made a decision of HiPP Dutch stage 2, but want to get some reassurance or an alternative. My baby is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. He is healthy, full-term. I plan to start supplementing at six months, as my supply is starting to drop. If I don’t want the hassle Of importing, is there a US brand you recommend that would be similar? We haven’t started solids yet either. Thank you!
Thank you for this wealth of information! We used it to choose HIPP German, which we order via subscription from Baby Kind Market. The babe has been happily drinking it more or less since birth. He was getting 50/50 breastmilk and HIPP until 3 months, and since then has been on 100% formula. We just switched to stage 2 when he turned 6 months to make sure he’s getting enough iron, and the transition went well.
Hi! Thank you so much for all your work deciphering and breaking down all this pretty overwhelming information. Based on info from your website, I went with the Holle Pre option for my son when I started supplementing with formula at 3 months. By 4 months he was solely being fed this formula. I went with this option because of the extremely high standards and regulation of the milk itself as well as that it actually uses some of the fat from said milk. Sidenote, I’m so surprised that no one else does this and would love to understand why.
Anyways…we’ve loved this formula from day 1 and haven’t had any issues whatsoever. I also felt really at ease giving it to my little guy (even though its significantly more expensive) due to quality.
He will be 6 months in a couple weeks and I guess I am going to have to get him on a new formula because of the low iron levels in the Holle Pre. This is only downside of this formula besides cost, I wish it had a stage 2 option. Based on your recommendations I might actually try the honest company brand for the next phase. I’m concerned the higher iron levels will make it harder to transition but I guess we shall see. I also don’t love giving up the actual milk fat as a fat source but I don’t see any way to do this. Thanks so much again. I really really appreciate what you’ve done here 🙂
Hi Dr. Young, thanks for the the great article! Our baby is 5.5 weeks old and is both breasmilk and formula fed. She has been colicky. She’s on HIPP standard German version and we feel she’s having indigestion issues (gassy, only poops once a day at night during colic time). We are debating whether to switch formulas to hipp comfort or hipp HA. Which one do you you think we should try? Thank you in advance.
Thank you for your blog! I wish I would have known about it when I was choosing a formula for my first! For my first I used lebenswert stage 2 and 3 (bf through stage 1). With my second I used lebenswert stage 1 and 2 so far. He is now 9 months, still on stage 2, and eating solids. His iron was on the low side at his 9 month appt. So I have two parts to my question. The stage 3 lebenswert says 10 months+ on the box… should I switch to that or stay on stage 2 until I switch to cows milk at 1 year? Also in general should I stay on lebenswert or maybe switch to Holle? No digestive problems or anything on lebenswert, maybe I just don’t need such a simple formula. Also do you have a post on cows milk brands? I spent a lot of time trying to determine what to buy for my first when he was a year and would love your perspective. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this! I have exclusively BF my 6m but I am ready to start supplementation and the weaning process from breast milk. I bought HIPP germany stage 2 (no starch) and she wont take it! (she takes bottles fine with my breast milk when I am at work) I even mixed it with my breast milk and she wouldnt! I tasted it myself and tastes horribly! not sweet at all! maybe is because has no starch? would you recommend me to go with Holle 2 or HIPP 2 germany? not sure how I feel with the maltodextrin of the Holle 2. thanks so much
My son was on Enfamil Premie as he was born at 33 weeks. He experience really bad gas a foul poops. We transitioned him to Holle Pre a week ago once we got the ok to go to a normal calorie formula. He is still really gassy and he struggles at night, restless with gas pain. The doctor has recommended we try Similac Pro Sensitive to determine if he is Milk Sensitive, but I’d like to stick with a European formula. Would you recommend Hipp HA or what is the closest to Pro Sensitive?
Dr. Young- thanks so much for this article! Amazing source of really helpful information. There’s a new formula from Switzerland Loulouka and it’s made WITHOUT palm oil. Ingredients as far as I can tell are very comparable is not the same as Hipp and Holle. Any opinions on this new one?
Hello,
Very nice information, thank you.
I am on vacation with my family in Italy (Genova) at this moment and I finished my baby’s formula. My baby is 10 months and she has been having Enfamil formula since she was born and it works perfect for her, I know here they don’t sell it, can you please tell me what formula you recommend me to buy here?
Thank you,
Sandy
Hi Dr. Young,
I have been exclusively bf my 5mo boy however I am leaving town next week so I started feeding him Holle Pre 4 oz. a day (2.75 breast mixed with 2.75 formula 2x a day) so I can reserve enough milk for my trip. Prior to the formula he regularly pooped 2-3 x day. Since we started on fomula he has gone 2 days without a BM and seems to be straining and pushing. He is also having a hard time finishing a bottle- he will get fussy and push the bottle away. If I wait 30-45min he will finish the rest of his bottle. Finally on the third day he had a BM but strained and it had a very gumlike/pasty texture. Now again hes going on 2 days without a BM. Should I try another formula or how long do we let him go without a BM or irregular BM’s?
Hello!
I loved this post. Our son is 5.5 months old. We had him on 75% breast milk and 25% Lebenswert – 1. Around the time he was 4 months, my supply decreased significantly and now he is on formula almost exclusively. We decided to switch from Lebenswert – 1 to Hipp Dutch 1 based on the probiotics (even though he seemed to do good and have good poops on Lebenswert, but it may have just been because he was also receiving breastmilk), and we noticed a hardening of his poop. I wouldn’t say it caused constipation, but enough that I called our pediatrician to make sure that it was normal that poop gets harder as babies transition off of breastmilk. She recommended BioGaia ProTectis Baby, and I am now getting confused. Should he be on a formula that has probiotics and also be receiving probiotics as a supplement? Also should I be giving him vitamin D drops as well? I also noticed when we feed him puree pears it helps his poop enough that we didn’t have to supplement with the BioGaia drops. So I guess I’m wondering if we are doing anything more than we need to, and if we should just discontinue the drops. They have definitely made his poops look like they did when he had breastmilk (thin and not solid at all) but I’m not sure that I’m supposed to be striving for that consistency of poop, or if the more solid poop is normal and he will get used to it as he gets used to formula. We are also about to order our next round of formula and are going to get the Hipp Dutch Stage 2, I’m not sure if that makes a difference in your answer. Thank you SO much for your help, I try to learn all I can but this is all quite overwhelming sometimes!
Hi Jessica! What a great question, I can tell that you have done a lot of research! I am glad you are working with your pediatrician! I can answer a couple things – but it sounds like you guys are doing great! First, as he eats more and more solids, you can expect to see more variation in his stool consistency (which makes a lot of sense). About the probioitcs: I actually don’t know the concentration of the probiotic used in HiPP, but I can tell you that the concentration of probiotics IN formula in the US is very low, so it is perfectly fine to use another probiotic along with the formula. Also, the strain in Bio Gaia is different than the strain in the HiPP formula, so they may be providing separate benefits for him. Just remember – you need to give it consistently to have any effect, so if you are not doing the drops consistently, then I wouldn’t bother anymore. Lastly, now is a good time to switch to stage 2 since you’ve started solids. Just do the switch slowly even though the differences in the formula are minor.
Ask your pediatrician about vitamin D. Most suggest giving the 400IU drops every other day (or so) for formula fed babies, but I want you to follow your own pediatrician’s protocol. Keep up the great work Mama!!
Thank you so much for this article. My twins were born at 36 weeks, I breast fed for around two months (during this time they also had formula but mostly breast milk) then switched solely to formula. They had some reflux issues but have been doing ok with Enfamil AR which our pediatrician suggested due to their issues. Ideally I wanted them on European formula but read your article back then and your advice to work with the doctor struck a chord. The twins are almost 6 months now and my sense is they don’t have the reflux issues any longer. I would like to switch to a European formula and would welcome your advice as to which from HiPP, Holle & Lebenswert most closely resembles Enfamil AR ? Many thanks in advance!
Hi Cameron!
Congratulations on making it to 6 months with twins!!! To answer your question – Enfamil AR is thickened. None of the formulas you suggested are thickened. Now if their reflux has subsided, they may do OK with a non-thickened formula. Ask your doctor. Or, you could consider HiPP anti-reflux, which is a thickened formula. The difference are: The HiPP Anti-reflux is organic and has extra whey (which might actually help reflux) and is thickened with carob bean gum. The Enfamil AR has a prebiotic added and is thickened with rice starch. Be sure your doc is OK with a switch before doing anything. Good luck Mama!!!
HI Dr. Young,
My baby is currently 10 months old, ever since she began crawling/trying to walk she has plateaued in her weight and is dropping down to below the 15% percentile from the standard 60% she has been since she was born. I know this is somewhat normal during this stage but it seems my milk supply too is decreasing. I’m giving her solids, but I just feel like she’s not eating enough to make up for the lack of breast milk she needs to feel full. She’s up all night wanting milk and keeps tugging on my breast and crying in the morning as well. I’ve decided to buy Hipp formula to supplement and I noticed that you did not review the Hipp Stage 3 German formula that is recommended for 10 months-on. What formula do you recommend we buy, the Hipp Stage 2 UK, or the Hipp German Stage 3 with regards to the quality of formula and what would be the best for our little babe ( I understand starch, prebiotics/probiotics, and iron are all factors, just don’t know which one would be most beneficial).
Hi Ava – to be honest. I haven’t researched the stage 3 very much since it’s a bit of a foreign concept (see what I did there with that pun? ha!) I definitely consider my expertise in the US formula land. Given that I know how US and European formulas are regulated for the 0-12 range, I can suggest choosing the stage 2 until she’s 12 months since this formulation will at least be similar to US formulas and so something your pediatrician is familiar with, and can help you work with. But again, I don’t know very much about the “stage 3″s over in Europe. I’ll also add that I know firsthand how alarming it can be when your baby isn’t gaining weight “fast enough”. It consumes ALL your thoughts and energy!! Hang in there Mama; you’re doing a great job!
Hi Dr. Young, I wanted to see if you had an opinion on Hipp and the aluminium levels published on UK formulas in a 2013 research study. I am currently giving my baby Hipp Stage 2 and didnt know if I should switch to Holle because of the aluminium levels of Hipp (Holle wasnt looked at in this study, so dont know about their levels). My daughter is 6.5 months old, and I would like to give her an organic, lactose based formula. So, Hipp looked like the best answer, till I saw the articles on the aluminum study. Would be great to get your thoughts on this. Thanks!
Hi Suhasini, I’m going to be really honest – I don’t know that much about it! I am very familiar with the study, but I don’t know how the levels are now in either company. I will say that – there does always seem to be some “scary” reason not to choose some formula (aluminum in the EU formulas in 2013, and arsenic in US formulas recently). It is so hard to be a parent and there seems to be some horrific reason to “disqualify” every formula. So my general recommendation is – pick a regulated infant formula you think will suit your baby’s biology best based on the actual known ingredients, and don’t worry about things you can’t find out or can’t control. HiPP, Holle (and Gerber, Similac, and Enfamil for that matter) are all very reputable companies that have a long standing history. Finding a regulated formula that your baby can digest well is the most important thing. After that – soak up your baby snuggles and save your worry for teenage years 🙂 That’s my opinion.
Hey there. I have a single copy of mthfr and have to make sure my multivitamin uses folate instead of folic acid. I am concerned about having to supplement my daughter at some point as my milk supply isn’t as big as it was with my first and I will be returning to work. I am having trouble finding a formula that uses natural folate instead of folic acid. Do you know of any?
Hi Trish! I actually don’t think there are any. I always assumed this is because natural folate is a relatively fragile molecule and may not survive some of the processing or heating that formula needs to endure (which is a scary thought) which is why companies use folic acid … to be sure the baby gets what he needs! So while your baby needs formula, there is literally nothing you can do, so don’t worry about it. Formula also has great concentrations of the other B-vitamins that support the 1-carbon pathway (that is compromised with MTHFR) which also makes me feel good. Once you introduce solids, you can focus on getting folate-rich foods into him early – maybe spinach, avocado, and egg yolk as first foods! Until then, just soak up the baby snuggles and save your worry for how to deal with temper tantrums 🙂
I’m also sure you know that your baby’s genotype depends on his father’s genotype as well, so it’s not inevitable that he will have a “slow” MTHFR enzyme too.
Keep up the great work Mama!
What are your thoughts on Hipp German Pre vs Hipp german stage 1 . I believe the only difference is stage 1 has added starch. My saiid 4 months on pre – should I be giving her stage 1 ? What will added starch do ? Will it cause stomach trouble?
Hi Lisa – great question! Yes the Stage 1 replaces some of the lactose with starch. In general, this may be a little easier to digest than the 100% lactose in HiPP Pre. However, if your baby is doing fine with 100% lactose then he may not need the lactose reduction – but the key is, I don’t think it will hurt him. The bigger difference is that the Pre has less iron. It’s possible your baby may need the higher iron concentration in the Stage 1 by 4 months (before you can give extra iron in the form of iron-rich solid foods). Ask your doctor if he/she thinks this may be the case for your baby. Factors to consider are: how far along was your baby when he was born? Did you get to experience delayed cord clamping? How long was your baby breast fed if at all? And how quickly has your baby grown? All of these will factor into how quickly our little one uses up the iron stores he was born with.
Hi Dr,
Thanks for this website!
My question for you is, which of the European formulas will be best for my 5 going on 6 month old baby considering that I was given 3 antibiotics at birth due to being GBS positive and therefore his gut bacteria may be lacking. Based on my research im leab=ning toward Holle in general but thought to ask if my concern is valid/legitimate and maybe I should try Hipp.
Great question!! Honestly, I wouldn’t make the decision based on whether or not the formula has probiotic. Probiotics are so easy to add and there are really great supplements on the market. I have an article about it here which includes some suggestions. So compare the major ingredients, and trust your intuition to make a choice. From there, you can add a probiotic supplement to either choice (assuming your doc is OK with it).
Hi There,
Thanks so much for the article! Is there a European Formula that has a higher fat/ calorie count than others? Our 4 mo old is slightly underweight and our Dr. recommended 2 formula bottles/ day in addition to Breastmilk. Any recommendations? He is currently on HIPP Combiotic- German PRE
Hi MeeMee – well, not that is available by suppliers in the US. So if your doc wants you to use a higher calorie formula, then you should use a US higher calorie formula… which is totally fine!
This is so helpful! My first born is 4 weeks and we’ve been supplementing with formula for 2 weeks because of low milk supply, per our pediatrician. I’ve been using samples we got – all similac and couldn’t believe the first ingredient of corn syrup that I just noticed. I saw a lactation specialist who said “all formula is FDA approved so it’s all the same”… which is so frustrating! My baby doesn’t seem to have an issue with the formula I’ve been giving him but I want him to have better quality of food! I try my best to eat organic and avoid too many sugars and corn syrup so I want him to also! What would you suggest trying?
Hi Jenny, you are right that all formulas are not the same – but that doesn’t mean that some are “bad”. If your baby is doing fine on Similac, then you don’t have to switch! But if you really want an organic formula, any of the European formulas are fine. I would recommend HiPP over Holle for a 4 week old since it does have DHA. You can also consider a US organic formula, all of which have DHA. Here’s an article comparing them. All the US formulas have DHA. Ask your doctor which they think would be best for your baby!
Hi Dr Young , thank you so much for being such an informative resource. Your blog is super helpful ! My preemie Twins are on HiPP Dutch stage 1 after they couldn’t tolerate Neosure . We calculate the water : powder ratio to make it to 22cal / oz which Neosure provides . That’s all good .
I’m closer to the 6 month mark ( 4 months adjusted age ) . I’m waiting to start solids although their pediatrician okayed having solids since 4 months . Should I order more of stage 1 HiPP Dutch which they are currently on ? Or switch to stage 2 at 6 months mark ?
I’m not sure how quickly accepting they will be of solids and want to make sure they don’t miss out on any essential nutrients.
Their pediatrician thinks stage 1 or 2 either would be fine from 6-12 months . What’s your take ? Would love to know your inputs .
Thanks !!
This article was really helpful! A friend of mine is using Hipp for her newborn (and if breastfeeding doesn’t go well, I might, too). My in laws live in Austria, where they can easily and inexpensively buy it. Do you know if there are any complications with either having my in laws ship them (or us) a big box or filling up a suitcase with it and bringing it on the next visit? Have you heard of any customs related issues? thanks!
Hi Dr. Young, what is the difference b/w Hipp comfort and Hipp HA?
HiPP Comfort is a Partially Hydrolyzed formula. HiPP HA is a fully hydrolyzed formula. The “HA” stands for “hypoallergenic”. So the HA has even smaller proteins that should be OK even for babies with a cow’s milk allergy. The HiPP comfort is very similar to Gerber Gentle and Gerber Soothe. It is NOT appropriate for a baby with a milk allergy.
I was listening to your youtube video on the european formulas and you listed that no pesticide residue was in the european baby formulas. I am using the european formulas and USA formulas on my baby.
I would like to mention that USA baby formulas also do not have pesticide residues.
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/03/01/ten-thousand-new-reasons-not-to-worry-about-pesticide-residues/#18d1202738a6)
Also on the USAD pesticide detection program (https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp) I ran the data for myself for the infant formulas from their 2017 database, and there were 0 detection of any pesticide. I think that is fantastic.
Agreed – FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for sharing Kristin!
Dr Young, I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old. 3 year old was on us formula since she was 9 months. When she was 1.5 we went to Europe and took only 1 box of formula thinking we would just buy formula there but she ended up puking all trip. With the 6 month old I wanted to get him on European formula recently and he would not take it well ( puking, spitting, restless, not sleeping). Could it be that there is a difference in the chemical composition of milk between US and Europe and it’s not easy to switch from 1 source if milk to the other? I don’t want my little one to eat US formula due to lack of regulations for cancerogenic MCPD contaminants but he would feel bad after German HIPP even, hypoallergenic versions with digested proteins and lower lactose. What to do? Should I eat this formula and start getting him used to it through my breastmilk?
Hi Cecylia, Oh dear – I am so sorry! Honestly it sounds like the US formulas are a better fit for him. I don’t know why that would be, but a puking restless baby is certainly not worth tolerating. I feel very comfortable with US formula options, especially if your baby is more comfortable consuming them. Definitely talk to your doctor about it.
Hi, which one of these milks would be a substitute for Nutramigen or Alimentum? My 4months baby is allergic to milk’s protein (dont know if to soy too…) I had him on Puramino for 3 months now and it worked ok and we just moved back to Nutramigen and all seems to be going ok. Thanks for your help. I hate lots of the ingredients on it and would really love to switch to an organic formula.
Hi Juliana. NONE of these formulas are substitutes for Nutramigen. Nutramigen is fully hydrolyzed and hypoallergenic (as you know), but none of these formulas are. The European hypoallergenic formula is “HiPP HA”.
Hi doctor,
Thank you for all of this great information. We are getting ready to transition our little one from breastfed to formula fed when she turns 6 months. We bought a box of Holle Stage 2 and are hoping it sits well on our baby’s tummy. I looked up online but couldn’t find if that formula has prebiotics and/or probiotics. Could you please advise? Should we add pre/probiotics? Thanks in advance!
Hello! Holle stage 2 does not contain either prebiotics or probiotics. But I personally do not recommend that all babies have these added. If your little one has been breastfed until now, then she has a great start to her microbiome. Instead of adding probiotics, I would say try to feed her natural probiotic food every week – yogurt, fermented foods, etc. That way you can see if the formula switch goes well without having to worry about too many variables in her diet at once. Good luck!
I was wondering… I started my 5 week old on Gerber soothe probiotics added to breast milk. If I switch him to Hipp HA Pre (suspected milk protein allergy) which has probiotics, do you think I can still add Gerber soothe? Or would I not need to?
Hi Christina, Here’s my opinion – if you have been using the Soothe drops for more than 2 weeks: I would continue to use them while you transition to HiPP HA. Once you have been on the HiPP HA fully for at least 1 full week, then you can slowly begin to back of using the Soothe drops (do one less drop a day until you are down to none).
This will provide some consistency to his intestines during the switch, which is nice! And then slowly “wean” his intestines off that single strain in Soothe. The goal with this is to avoid any “abrupt” changes. In my experience, it’s those type of changes that babies have a hard time with. Good luck!
Hi Dr. Young,
Thank you so much for the wonderful article! My baby is 9 months old. She was exclusively breast-fed until starting solids at 7 months. I have continued to breastfeed, but at her 9-month appt. we were told we needed to start giving her 12-16 oz of formula (in addition to breastfeeding) because her weight/height percentiles had significantly declined (50-60% down to 10-14%) since her 6-month visit. We decided on Holle Pre formula even though it is only supposed to be used until 6 months because my understanding was that I could give her more of it throughout the day than the Stage 2+ follow-on milk. I know the Holle Stage 2 contains starch to keep baby full longer, but is there an actual issue with giving more than the recommended amount of this formula from a nutritional standpoint? You made a really good point about the iron content and the importance of using the age-appropriate formula, so now I’m concerned that I’m not using what is perhaps the most ideal formula based on her age. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thank you!
Hi Bree! I am sure you know these are questions for your doctor and I hope you are working closely with them.
Regarding the formula Holle Pre is actually the same calories/ounce as stage 1 and 2 (or close enough that I consider them the “same” in real world feeding scenarios). So, she’s getting the same amount of calories from a bottle of either. At her age and assuming she is otherwise healthy, I would prefer to see her slowly taking in less formula as she slowly takes in more solids since she is making her way to 12 months when we start giving up formula altogether and transitioning to toddler hood. So I would suggest focusing on fantastic rich-calorie and iron rich solid food to help her meet her goals. Stir in some coconut cream or oil into her sweet potatoes! Add grass fed butter to her green beans! slather her bread with loads of almond butter! Feed her some organic free range chicken liver! You can do so much with her solids. Here as a video and an article that I think will help. Obviously it’s a team effort with your doc so be sure to discuss these things with them.
This is so helpful! Thanks so much! My baby is 5 months old. She has been mostly breastfed and on ocassions we’ve supplemented with Enfamil Neuro-Pro formula (max of 4oz/day). She does not seem to have any bad reactions to that formula. We are getting ready to switch to only formula around the 6 months mark due to health issues that I have (i.e. getting hard to pump or breasfeed). We are thinking of using an european/organic formula. Do you have any recommendations on which one to try first? Thanks in advance!
Well congrats on making it to 6 months breastfeeding!! You have lots of option!! If she has done well on Enfamil, it’s simplest to stay on that. Enfamil Infant is a great formula! If you want something organic, then only European formulas have a 60/40 whey/casein ratio, like Enfamil (US organic formulas have a 30/70 whey/casein ratio). At 6 months, you need to be on a Stage 2 formula if you do European, and the closest EU formula to Enfamil is HiPP Dutch Stage 2. It has a 60/40 ratio and uses 100% lactose as the carb. It does NOT provide MFGM like the “nuero-pro”, which is fine by 6 months. It DOES have a PRObiotic.
I also suggest you look at Similac Pure Bliss. It’s not organic but is grass fed and without the hurdles of importing formula. The whey/casein ratio there is 50/50. So consider those points, and then trust your intuition!
Hi Dr. Young,
I’m a big fan of your site—thank you for all of your wisdom! I’m writing as we began our daughter on German Hipp stage 1 at 1 month old due to my very low breast milk supply. She seemed to thrive on it in most every way (happy, growing wonderfully, stool that resembled breast-fed stool) but it caused chronic nighttime congestion. My husband and I would take turns staying up with her at night to allow her to sleep on her tummy on our chests, which was the only way she seemed to breathe clearly. Otherwise she would gag and cry on her back in her bassinet. After a month and a half of trying to let her adjust to it, we decided it might be a milk allergy so we switched to German Hipp HA. Within a day, the congestion went away and she’s sleeping through the night. The problem is, other symptoms appeared that weren’t there on the regular Hipp! She’s especially gassy and has consistently tannish green and foamy stools. We are about a week in with her on the HA and I’m wondering if you think we should switch yet again?
Hi Sarah! First – remember I’m not a pediatrician (PhD here, not MD), so this is only my opinion. This is stuff you definitely need to speak with your doc about. In my opinion, the gas and stools are a WAY better problem to have than congestion/breathing issues. These issues actually don’t surprise me on a fully hydrolyzed formula. The stool often changes consistency and smell due to the smaller proteins. And gas can certainly be challenging, but it’s not dangerous (like a breathing issue). I suggest experimenting with gas drops in her bottle before bed, and you can try SLOWLY introducing a probiotic which may help with gas over time. But from what you’ve written, it sounds to me like the switch to HA was a great choice! Call your ped, and see if they agree with me 🙂
Hi! Are you aware of any adverse effects of irradiation on European formulas imported into the US? I’ve noticed that many US online retailers claim that the formula is not irradiated, but upon further inquiry, they don’t necessarily have the documentation to support it, so we have to take them at their word. As an attorney I’ve been trained to think skeptically. I desperately want to give my baby Holle PRE (she’s been doing so well on it) but I’m worried about irradiation. Is irradiation harmful? Does the process leave behind radiation in formula? Also, I’ve read that it can kill nutrients, and that’s obviously concerning when it comes to infant formula. Any insights you may have are appreciated!!
Hi Ava – I’ll be honest. This is not my area of expertise. But I think we all agree we don’t want our formula to be irradiated. I also agree that we have to take companies at their word when they say their import practices avoid irradiation. I have spoken with a few companies that say they only sell formula that does not go through irradiation processes – but I am trusting that they are telling the truth.
Irradiation will not leave traces of radioactivity – so at least that’s not a (very scary!) concern:
https://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm261680.htm
This is one of the reasons you need to know who you purchase EU formula from and have a discussion with your doc ahead of time.
Hello there, thank you so much for sharing your expertise, Dr. Young. It’s really helpful! I have to admit that I am a bit overhelmed, though. My son is 8 weeks old, and we had to stop breastfeeding at 5 weeks due to low milk supply following gestational diabetes. We are currently using Similac pro-sensitive, but I would like to give him formula that most closely matches breast milk, and (after reading your blog), am concerned about soy formulas and those with corn syrup. He doesn’t seem to have too many digestive issues, but I note your comment about soy and sugar cravings, and notice that we are having a difficult time getting him to go more than 2.5-3 hours though he is eating around 5 oz. of formula at each feeding. I noticed that the HiPP brand offers a formula for hungrier babies…what exactly does this mean?
Congratulations on your baby! 8 weeks is still so little – it can be hard to tell if “issues” are from formula or just from the overwhelming job of growing at that age. I always say that – if your baby is thriving, then you found the perfect formula! The HiPP “Hungry” uses a higher proportion of casein, which empties the stomach more slowly. But, Similac Sensitive also uses a higher proportion of casein too – so they are not much different from that perspective. If you are worried about his formula, then talk to your pediatrician. But if he is otherwise comfortable and growing well, then save your worrying for potty training 🙂
Hello! My baby is 4 1/2 months now and has so far been exclusively breastfed, except the last couple of weeks we have experimented a small amount with avocado, blueberries, and baby oatmeal. She is a GREAT eater: loves breast milk and all food she has tried.
In her first 3 months, she had very bad gas pains. It has since gotten better, but she still has some gas that causes her pain.
She is now in daycare and I am not pumping enough during the day to sustain her demand. We have about a month’s daytime supply of frozen milk left, so will need to supplement here soon.
What formula would you recommend? I had originally been interested in goat’s milk formula, then also thought about Holle Stage 1 cow milk.
Thanks!
Hi Julia – it sounds like she is a rockstar! If she is handling food OK, I bet she will do well on any formula you choose. Here are some starter recommendations for US formulas. And I just wrote an article about goat milk formula that will help you understand the differences between cows and goats which will help you decide if goat milk is worth the “risk” and hassle of importing a European formula. But, especially if you are still providing some breast milk to mix with – any choice would be fine!
Hi Dr. Young,
My 7 weeks old has been on enfamil newborn ready-feed and I just switched to Holle Pre. His poop turned yellow, it was greenish before. Is this normal?
Also, Holle Pre doesnt have DHA, is there a need to supplement? I wonder what is the reason for different iron levels for UK and US regulations. Is it because American babies need more iron than European babies? Just the DHA and iron content alone makes me want to go back to using enfamil but I really dont know what is the best option for my baby right now.
Thank you for your informative blog, btw! My pediatrician isnt helpful when it comes to this. They always tell me all formula are the same and just buy the cheapest one.
Both yellow and greenish poo are normal colors for formula fed babies. As long as he is going “regularly” and it isn’t hurting him, its basically “normal” 🙂
To answer your question – No, American babies don’t need more iron then European babies – the scientists that make the rules about formula just came to different conclusions here vs there. Obviously babies grow well here and there.
There is no research to suggest that extra DHA is necessary for healthy term babies. But since there doesn’t seem to be any harm, most pediatricians recommend it, especially for newborns (like your LO). Honestly, it sounds like your intuition is suggesting you stick with Enfamil Newborn – which is a great formula. You can also stay on it for the whole first year – it’s perfectly fine! The major ingredients are actually very similar to Holle Pre. Good luck!
Hi Dr. Young! I’m really happy I stumbled upon your article! It is very informative. I have been wanting to try a European Formula for a couple weeks now. My baby is 3 months old and breastfeeding didn’t go well for us (not for lack a really trying though). He was diagnosed with reflux and my Pediatrician gave us a
sample of Enfimil AR. We’ve tried other formulas here in the US but now he’s doing okay on it. I get concerned with rice cereal and the side effects I’ve been reading up on. Soooo…I was curious as to what you think of it and if there was a European version of this as I would like an organic less sugary formula (with possibly a better thickening agent) Thank you!
Hi Joy! Well HiPP does have a thickened formula. It is called HiPP Anti-Reflux. But honestly, if he is thriving on the Enfamil AR, then I would stick with it. Reflux is SUCH a pain. If you found something that is working to provide him comfort while he outgrows it, then I would be hesitant to “rock the boat” with something new…
Hello! I love your website, and you have been incredibly helpful in choosing the best formula for our little Charlotte. She is about to be 7MO, and we switched from Holle Pre to Stage 2 when she turned 6 MO. Oh my, we have had constipation ever since. Our amazing ped suggested prune juice and a bit of water in her bottles, and I feel like we can’t remove these two things without more horrible constipation. Also, I am concerned that she is not getting enough iron right now because I can’t get her to eat much. She HATE all purees and is barely eating during out baby led weaning meal times. I would LOVE your advice and am grateful for any information on these issues. Many thanks! M&Baby Charlotte
Hi Marilyn, I”m so sorry! It’s great that you have a pediatrician you love and trust. It actually sounds like you have a lot going on at once, so I would recommend setting up a consultation with me. Here’s where you can find all the details.
Hello! Loved your article. Thank you for all of the research; it was so helpful! I had a question- do you know of any European brand formulas that have sample sizes? I am switching my 7 month old to formula but he hates everything I try and I’m worried about shelling out a ton of money on formula that will go to waste.
Hi Rebecca – I actually don’t! Well, I don’t know of any way to get samples in the US anyway…. sorry Mama.
Hey, why do you only discuss Hipp, there are many (much) better and more premium brands in Europe (eg Aptamil) ?
I actually have a video about Aptamil!
But here I am focusing on the brands that are readily available and easier for US parents to get.
Hi Dr. Young,
I like in CA, but my family is in Ireland. My parents will be visiting soon after baby is born and can bring over lots of Hipp (uk version). I don’t want my parents to bring over tons of boxes and find out my baby has colic and constipation and needs to be on HiPP Comfort milk rather than the regular First infant milk. Is there anything wrong with just using Hipp Comfort to be on the safe side? Isn’t the only difference is Comfort having hydrolysed protein to make it easier to digest?
Congratulations on your baby Carol! HiPP Comfort is partially hydrolyzed, and lactose reduced. It also has a special fat blend that is more “gentle” (meaning no calcium soap forming fats). So there are 3 big differences that could all help with different digestive issues. Honestly, I don’t see any reason you can’t start with that formula – as long as your Dr agrees. The closest formula in the US is Gerber Gentle, so it would be nutritionally pretty dang close (if your Dr needs a reference). I hope that helps!
Hi there,
My son is about 3 weeks old. I just got the Holle Stage 1 to supplement breast milk as I don’t think he’s getting enough breast milk. I gave him about an oz 2 days ago and about 2oz last night. He drinks it fine but last night after he ate, about 2 hrs later he started having bouts of crying in his sleep every 45mins or so. He did end up with a poopie diaper by this morning and he drinks breast milk but his c4ying while half sleep hasn’t stopped. Could this be the formula? I’m waiting for the pediatrician to call me but I thought I check with you as this was a great article. Thanks so much.
Hi Samy, oh dear.
It could be a lot of things and I can’t give you a perfect answer. Here are some scenarios. It could absolutely be the formula – try to pay attention to what you think is bothering him (gas, constipation, cramps) and keep track of this, especially if you try any other formulas. It could also just be volume. If he’s only 3 weeks old and you haven’t supplemented much before, then topping him off with 2oz after a feed just may be more volume of food than he is used to, and digesting all that was a lot of work and meant some extra gas, and extra stool. If that’s the case, then he will adjust to volume changes over time.
He could also just have had a bad night, or didn’t like the onesie he was wearing … sometimes babies are a little nuts 🙂
Do you have the option to mix the breast milk with formula? that may help. In short, it’s not enough exposure or information for me to give you a clear answer. But you did the right thing calling your Dr. See what he/she says and trust your intuition Mama!
Hello, you mentioned that Hipp contains soy but I didn’t see it in the above table. Is it in all HIPP formulas?
Hi Jennifer, I marked the formula DOES contain soy if it has soy lecithin (which is a very minor ingredient in terms of quantity). The formula had to contain NO soy ingredients at all to be labeled soy-free. You would need to check each HiPP formula individually. Some HiPP formulas are soy-free, others are not. You need to check each formula (and country of manufacture) individually ….
Hi,
My baby will be turning 9 months by the end of the month. She was exclusively breastfeed until she was 7.5months along with eating solids. I’ve tried many different formulas but by daughter just doesn’t seem to take any of them and the ones she did take made her vomit so she ends up not wanting them. For the past few weeks she has only been on solids as we havent been successful with her taking formula which is making it harder for her to gain weigh. Apparently she hasn’t gain weight since August. She is 28in long and weighs 14lbs 13oz. Dr has been seeing her once a week for the past 3weeks. She has slowly gain a couple oz but is still on the low side. I’ve heard HIPP is a sweeter than us formulas so I’m hoping she’ll like HIPP and that she wont vomit it up. Do you suggest to go with stage 2 HIPP HA or the HIPP Combiotic? Would you recommend UK or Germany?
Thank you!
Hi Yadira, you really need to work with your Dr on this one. If she is really vomiting up all formula then the HiPP combiotic will likely also not sit will with her since it is also an intact protein formula. The HiPP HA is a fully hydrolyzed, so if your Dr wants her to try one of those then definitely go with the stage 2 as it will have more iron and a few other minerals suitable for a baby her age.
In the meantime, I will suggest loading up her solid food with as much fat as she can eat (stir butter or other healthy fats into her purees). If she is taking solids well, you can focus on trying to get as many calories into her that way as you try to figure out the formula issue.
Good luck!!!
Great article! Thank you for the information! I am wondering if there is any information or concern for aluminum levels in the powder form of Hipp formulas? The ready made is much more expensive and I would like to see if there is any validity to the concern for the levels in the powder form.
Hi Dr Young,
What is the difference between “pre” and “stage 1” formula? My 15 week old is exclusively on breastmilk but he had forumla in his first month as a top off. I’m wondering which stage formula is needed to start with. I’m looking to possibly supplement one feeding a day only or use as needed as a substitute.
You could use either a “Pre” or “stage 1” European formula. But they often have different ingredients, so make your choice based on what ingredients you think would work best with your baby’s biology. Good luck!
Which would you say out of these is the healthiest for a 11 month old and the closest to breast milk.
Hi Jessica! I’m going to be really lame and not answer you. My recommendations are always based on baby’s individual characteristics, and how much formula they need (ie: how much breast milk they may be getting and how much solid food they may be eating). If your baby healthy then you can’t go wrong picking an intact formula protein with a lactose-based carbohydrate and watching how they respond. From there, you can adjust the formula as necessary based on what symptoms your baby develops. All the choices are “healthy” in that they will meet your baby’s needs and allow them to grow and thrive. I know that’s not what you were hoping to hear but I just can’t be more specific than that since every baby is their own unique special person with their own unique special intestines…
My daughter is 3 months old and she is on similac pro sensitive I ordered the Lebenswert stage 1. It’s day 2 and she is a bit gassy and fussy. The first day she was fine. Any thoughts or recommendations?
Hi Amanda! It depends on how fast you are switching her. This is a big formula change! She is going form basically no lactose to 100% lactose, so it will take her body a while to re-ramp up the capacity to handle all that lactose. I would be sure you go very slowly and observe her carefully to be sure the Lebenswert is a better formula for her individual body.
Hi Amanda,
Try Hipp Hypoallergenic if she is sensitive to the lactose, my daughter was too and this milk was our salvation.
Great article!
I use Topfer Pre and baby does well on it. This formula does not have maltodextrin and has probiotic and DHA. After Pre I will switch to Hipp Dutch Stage 1 because Topfer uses maltodextrin for other stages.
I would like to hear your opinion on baby cereals. I would like to start my baby on cereal at 6 months and would like gluten free option which easily digestible…I am thinking about Millet or Spelt.
I’ve got a video about that! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R13t84bk344
Hello,
My bay is 9 months and exclusively breastfeed along with eating solids. I feed on demand. In the case where husband and I are away for an evening out and I don’t have any pumped bottles, do you suggest to supplement with stage 1 or stage 2 HIPP on occasion? Due to age, I was thinking Stage 2, but am now thinking that maybe stage 1 is better for a fully breastfed baby since it can be more gentle? Thoughts?
Would you recommend UK or German?
Also, is there a difference between the ready to feed and powder? Is one gentler, or can they be used interchangeably?
I will discuss with our pediatrician as well.
Thank you!
Hi! Great job making it 9 months breastfeeding Mama! And great questions! Definitely go with the Stage 2. It won’t be harsher to digest, but will have a bit more iron which is especially important for breastfed babies. The UK and German version are extremely similar. You can see the differences in the chart on this page. For a baby who is only getting this formula occasionally, I don’t have a recommendation on one vs the other – both are great. You should also be able to use the ready to feed and powder interchangeably. Good luck!
thanks for the great info! are there any european preemie formulas available?
Hi Angela – not that I know of from the big suppliers I trust – sorry!
yes!!!
check organicstart.com
is the website where I buy my daughter’s milk
Thank you so much for writing this article as it’s exactly what I’ve been searching for. We are from the UK yet live in Canada and I’m due in 5 weeks with our 4th child, all previous 3 children were born in the UK and we’d like this baby to have a UK formula too. Not as easy as one may think! I’ve contacted border services and the Canadian food agency and neither can confirm that formula won’t be opened for inspection which leaves us in a quandary as then the container is spoilt. I see your recommendation for a supplier in NYC and I’ve contacted them and will wait to see what they say. My question (finally) is do you know of a similar supplier in Canada that offers the same service? I’d greatly appreciate your help! Thank you in advance 😊
Hi Nicola! Oh boy – I don’t know of any suppliers in Canada. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I just am not familiar with the Canadian market. Check out Organic Start .com. I know they ship to Canada with wholesale orders – but I am not sure about single orders. If you find a Canadian supplier – please do post a comment!
Yumibabi sells the Européen formula in Canada. They have a Facebook page and are great in recommending the right formula your baby.
Thank you so much Janice!
Thanks for sharing right information with us about Hipp Dutch Formula….It uses whole grain as it comprised of proteins, fat, vitamins, and carbohydrates among others which is very useful and digestive for kids…………
Hello, thanks gor this great article! I’m curious why you didn’t include the main classic brands such as NAN or Nutrilon? I live in Brussels and these are the brands you find in all pharmacies and the ones that are recommended in the hospitals. Any advice over these? I started combining NAN with breastfeeding and I’m looking for a more organic option (non GMO, etc) Would love your advice. Thx!
Hi Gabriela, what a great question. The simple answer is that I’m in the US, NAN and Nutrilon are formulas that we don’t have any access to here, so I don’t know much about them. You found the article I would send you to. Sadly, I don’t know much about brands not listed on this article. Congratulations on your new baby!!!
Hello,
The label on HIPP UK reads ” for hygiene reasons DO NOT PREPARE IN ADVANCE, always freshly prepare feeds”. This is very different from U.S formulas which can be used within 24 hours as long as it is well refrigerated. Is the “Do not prepare in advance” notice more of a European preference? Or is it that the particular contents of this formula can not be refrigerated, and it is not safe to feed to baby unless freshly made?
Rosy, this is an awesome question! Honestly, I’m not 100{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} sure. But I can’t see anything on European ingredients that would be so different from US ingredients. Also, remember that even if you prepare “ahead of time”(per US standards), you can still only keep the formula for 24 hours in the refrigerator. I can’t think of any ingredient that would spoil or degrade so quickly!! I’ll check with a few food scientist buddies and update you if I learn anything new.
Hello,
The HIPP formula says on the label “DO NOT PREPARE IN ADVANCE, always freshly prepare feeds “. which is very different from U.S formulas that can be used with in 24 hours if prepared and refrigerated properly. Is the “Do not prepares in advance” notice more of a european preference? or is it a warning that the particular contents of this formula will spoil and are dangerous to feed to baby if not freshly made?
ps.
I LOVE YOUR BLOG and youtube videos.
They are refreshingly informative and even though there is a lot of complicated science behind the subject, you do an excellent job at explaining it to us ordinary mothers just trying to do right by baby.
You are the SWEETEST! Just answered the prep question above. It means so much to me that you took the time out of your crazy new Mom life to write that 🙂
Hi,
My baby is 10.5 months, he has has mild eczema since he was 4months. We currently use Hipp and have since he as about 3-4 months. Allergy testing was done and he is showing some mild intolerance to oatmeal, almons and cows milk. My pediatrician is recomending soy base formula. I m not sure what to do as I have heard mix things about soy. Are there any soy based european formulas? Any opcions that u can recommend? My baby does show intolerance to soy. When do we stop formula? Should i give US soy formula a try until he turns one?
Thank you much
Hi Diana,
Oh boy. I never disagree with pediatricians. They know your baby, I don’t. You can call and see if he/she would consider a trial of a partially hydrolyzed formula before soy. Partially hydrolyzed 100{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} whey has been to help with eczema (Gerber’s formulas, Similac Total Comfort, and HiPP Comfort).
Here’s a blog comparing those formulas
If he has a mild intoleranc to both soy and dairy, the chances are that soy will induce the same reaction. I know there are European soy formulas, but I don’t know enough about them to give any opinion (sorry!). Here is an older video I did comparing soy options in the US, if you decide to go that route:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLZLjWzwSQ0
Thanks for sharing this valuable blog, yes I appreciate your point you should have to know the difference between the USA and European Formula as well as you have to know the advantages and disadvantages of these formulas. I think the Hipp brands is really beneficial for babies. It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals to allow your baby to develop healthily. Some of Hipp’s formulas are gluten-free, sugar-free etc.
Hi, I am switching my 8 month old from the German Hipp Stage 1 to the Dutch Hipp Stage 2. The pamphlet that came with my order of the Dutch Stage 2 recommends fewer bottles per day but that same amount of mixed formula per bottle and I am not sure why.
My daughter is doing well on (Stage 1) 4 bottles/day, each roughly 7 oz of prepared formula. The pamphlet suggest 7 oz prepared formula but only 2-3 times per day.
Do I have to decrease the amount of formula with the Stage 2? Thanks!
Hi Sari, Always check with your Dr. But that amount sounds good to me. And every baby is different! The important thing is to follow your baby’s cues about when she is hungry and full.
I think the spirit behind that recommendations is that stage 2 formulas are for babies 6-12 months old. During this time, you should slowly be decreasing the amount of formula as you increase the amount of solid food so that baby is getting most of their nutrition from solids by 12 months. I think that’s why those recommendations are there.
But every baby’s timeline is different, so follow your baby’s cues. She’ll tell you what she needs.
Hello, I’ve been using kabrita toddler formula for my 2 month old. After watching your video, I am wondering if this is appropriate for her age. We tried the Holle goat milk formula but she became very constipated. We also thought she had a milk allergy, so we did Neocate for three weeks, but we are trying goat now that her tummy’s had a little break & she’s older. She seems a little more gassy and definitely congested. Not sure if she is tolerating this well. But she was much worse on dairy- we did HIPP stage 1 & she was screaming in pain about every other day. I’m just not sure what to try next or if I should keep her on kabrita. We didn’t have any problems on neocate, except more spit up because it’s so thin, but it is so expensive & I hate giving her corn syrup. I guess I feel stuck & don’t know what to do!!!
Hi Molly, I think you need to call your doctor. Neocate is an amino acid based formula so you really need to feed it only under a doctor’s supervision. And congestion is not something to overlook. It sounds like your little one has a complex case, and I would seek help from your doctor to make the next decision.
We are having the EXACT same issue (minus the neocate).
Was there any resolution to this issue!?? I would love to know!
If you were to choose 1 formula for a newborn to be exclusively formula fed which would you choose?
Every baby is different! But I have an article about recommendations if you are starting off cold. Good luck!
When choosing baby formulas, consider the nutritional qualities of breast milk as well as powdered and liquid formulas to provide adequate care for a growing child. Solve digestive problems by looking into alternative baby formulas with help from a registered nurse in this block on family health.Thanks for your great information.
Hi! I read your article and just watched your video on the difference between Holle & kabrita goat milk formula. We started my daughter on HIPP & she was very fussy, sometimes screaming for up to two hours. We started transitioning her onto goat milk & ended up testing her poop for an allergy & the dr said the result was “slightly positive.” (So seemed inconclusive to me) We switched her to neocate (I hated this) and she did seem better so we kept her on it for three weeks. Her mood has improved so much, we decided to see if it was simply age or if she was truly allergic to goat milk. We have been doing kabrita toddler formula for a week now & she seems to be tolerating it well. The only negative I see is that she’s much more congested than she was on neocate but she hasn’t had any bouts of screaming in pain like before. All this to say, I’m concerned about giving her a toddler formula. The reason we did Kabrita iwas because we originally tried Holle goat milk and she became very constipated. She hasn’t had that issue on Kabrita, but I am concerned since it is a toddler formula. I don’t want to put her back on cow’s milk because I don’t think she tolerated it well. I could order kabrita infant formula from Europe, but I’m just not sure about getting it in time & such & if it is worth it. Is there an infant goat milk formula you recommend? How do you feel about giving infants the kabrita toddler formula as it has different amounts of nutrients suited for older babies. My daughter is only 2.5 months old. Thank you in advance!!!!
Hi Molly, I answered another comment of yours, so please read that. There is another infant goat milk formula from Europe – Nanny Care.
But this is best decided with your doctor.
Hi Natalia. My baby is 7 months old. He started having formula since he was 2 months old. First we ve been giving him Organic US Formula Baby`s ONLY, but at 4.5 months we switched to a Holla 1 and now stage 2. Since 3 months old he started having a constipation problems (didnt poop for 3-5 days) also he started getting dermatitis on his cheeks. Doctor now recommends us to try Lactose free formula. i really like all these European formulas, but not sure which one would be good for my son now. Dont really see a full Lactose free option. Can you help, please?
Oh, I’m so sorry. HiPP Comfort is partially hydrolyzed and lactose reduced. There is no Lactose Free standard formula in the EU. There are plenty of lactose reduced (intact protein and partially hydrolyzed) options in the US for you to choose from.
Similac Total Comfort has only trace lactose. But if your baby has been on Holle (which is 100{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} lactose), then a large lactose reduction will probably be fine (as opposed to going completely lactose free). Good luck!
Hi, it looks like the German version of HIPP Stage 1 contains a large amount of starch “starke”. Do you know what type, why, and would you recommend other versions over this?
Hey DS! I don’t know what type of starch they use. I am not anti-starch. I think it completely depends on the baby. The starch is added to add texture, and thicken the formula a bit. Hipp stage 1 (German) is roughly 15{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} starch, 85{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} lactose so it’s not a huge amount. This can be really helpful for babies with a mild lactose sensitivity (because the starch reduces the lactose load), and for mild reflux. Marketing also suggests that starch helps babies “Feel more full”. There is no research to support this, but I have had parents tell me they think it works. So, if any of those may help your unique baby, then it would be worth a try! Every baby is different. I hope that helps answer your question
How does Hipp Anti Reflux compare to the Pre or Stage 1 in terms of ingredients?
The short answer is: Compared to HiPP stage 1, Both the UK and German AR have less lactose (and do have maltodextrin). The AR formulas are thickened with gum (different gum depending on country). The HiPP Stage 1 has a PREbiotic, while the AR formulas do not. And the UK AR formula does NOT have a PRObiotic, while the German AR formula does. I hope that is helpful!
Hello , I would to understand with other parents that maybe has more experience , the risk for the radiation on the organic formula coming from abroad . Could be actually a danger for the health of the baby ?
As parents we would like always to give them the best choice and the best organic formulas are just european , so everything has to be imported and pass trough custom .
I actually order Lebenswert stage 1 from this website https://www.bestorganicformula.com/product/lebenswert-bio-organic-infant-formula-1/ , the support tell that they print on the package “NO IRRADIATION” . Some others know if there are other websites that warranty for every package sent to US ?
Hi Sheila, I do not know the chemistry of what happens to powdered nutrients in formula when irradiated – and thus would prefer formula avoids it! I do not know about all the US suppliers, but I do know that Baby Kind Market also avoids any irradiation. They talk about it a bit more on their website: https://babykindmarket.com/pages/faqs
Hello! I love your videos as well as your articles. My 4.5 month old is breast fed but here and there gets a 4 oz bottle of Holle Pre. She has began to eat some oatmeal and puree. Should I be okay staying with Holle Pre since the oatmeal contains iron? She seems to love the taste and I like the bare bones nature of it, mainly lactose as the starch and added Demeter cream! I wanted to get your take on it. What do you think? Do I stay with Pre or stage up?
Hi Chelsie! Well you have to ask your Dr, or course. My opinion would be that it totally depends on how much breast milk she is getting. If it’s an occasional bottle a week, then I would think she would be fine. I also love the ingredients of the Pre. Trust your intuition and listen to your baby. If she seems hungry after her bottle, you can always offer her more! And as she is exposed to more foods, you can introduce some iron-rich sources to be sure she is getting enough there. I always trust Mom’s intuition. Just tell your Dr what you are doing, and have a nutrition plan that you both agree on 🙂
Thanks for this great article! My son is dairy and soy intolerant – do you have a recommendation? My daughter had the same issues and grew out of them just fine but had to gradually phase formula with less broken down proteins as she got older. We were never really a fan of the Similac Alimentum but European formula wasn’t on our radar then! Suggestions appreciated!
Oh you are so welcome!! I hope you guys don’t end up with a hypoallergenic, but if you do, the EU option is called HiPP HA.
Hi Dr. Young,
Is there any difference (nutritionally) between the stage 1 and 2 of any European formula BESIDES iron? I’m leaning towards choosing a stage 2 because of iron levels (1mg/100kcals). My baby is almost 4 months. What are your thoughts? would it be best to use a stage 1 because of his age? Also, is there any way I could supplement iron?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Natalia. There are other subtle differenes that depend on brand. Some stage 2 formulas add starch. Stage 2 also usually have a tiny bit more protein and a tiny bit less fat than stage 1 (so still the same number of calories). Stage 2 also usually has a tiny bit more calcium and a few other vitamins/minerals. In Europe, stage 1 is specifically for 0-6 months (ish) and stage 2 for 6-12 months. This is different than the US where ALL formulas need to meet guidelines for 0-12 months. Honestly, a baby should do fine on either since human breast milk can be so variable. The differences between stage 1 and stage 2 are less than differences we often see between 1 mom to the next, but you NEED to ask your doctor. I would suggest following the staging age guidelines. You can purchase multivitamin and iron supplements for babies, but this is something that you should not do alone without first talking to your doctor. You can over-supplement! I hope that helps.
Do you have another supplier to recommend? Baby kind market is currently out of stock of the formula I’m looking to purchase. HIPP UK Stage 1
well this reply is so outdated it’s of no help to you (sorry!) But Organic Start is another supplier that keeps good inventory and has similar import practices. Good luck!
AND IT IS ILLEGAL TO IMPORT EU FORMULA INTO THE USA.
Hi, when selecting a supplier for EU formula, how concerned should I be able the risk of the formula having radiation exposure through customs? When you spoke with suppliers did any of them have a way of ensure the formula is not exposed to radiation during the import process?
Hello! Im hoping for some guidance. My son was born via c section in august. I struggle with Low BM supply so we supplement anywhere from 1-3 bottles a day. We started out with Holle and have been using HIPP since he is about 3 months old so almost 2 months now…the last few weeks he has had eczema and on and off green mucous diapers. He seems to be experiencing an allergy, just not sure what to….We were using Hipp Stage 1 until they have been out of stick we then switched to Hipp HA….do you know if there is something in the HA that might be causing this? TIA for your help!
oh boy! I am so sorry! Well a switch from HiPP stage 1 to HiPP HA is a pretty big switch, so there are lots of things that differ. The biggest is that HA is fully hydrolyzed and 100{d3431cee00683dd1c43a4eb0fdbd2aadf61cae39541cb3bcdd241b07539079d2} whey based so in theory it should be LESS likely to cause a reaction like eczema. But every baby is different. First, you should definitely call your doctor. If you want to talk to me, then you could provide a lot more detail as to the timing and manner of the switch and formula volumes, etc. Here is the link to my calendar.
If a baby were to be formula only, on an EU formula, say stage one Dutch Hipp, wouldn’t their iron levels not be a concern by the time they’re 6-12 months (given they start solid food by 6 months)?
Hi! In a perfect world, you are right – the iron levels would not be a concern. In fact, iron levels in EU formulas are STILL higher than breast milk. The only concern arises when the solid foods baby is fed do not provide much iron. This happens a lot in the US with the commercially baby foods available. So, it’s hardly a given that iron will be a problem. It’s just something I point out so parents can make strategic choices with the timing and type of solid foods they introduce. I hope that clears up any confusion!
Curious about the “HA” formulation – any chance you are able to discuss that in the blog and the chart above (which is so great!) Thanks!
Hi Lauren,
I’ll be getting to a the Hypoallergenics later in the spring – so it will be a while. If you can’t wait that long and want to chat more (since I know Spring is a long time away), I’d recommend setting up a free call with me! I’d love to chat! And thanks for the kind words – I am so glad this article was helpful!
Do you have a timeframe for when you will be covering the HIPP HA formulas? My son is 5.5 months and we supplement with the HA Stage 1 formula currently due to some dairy and soy sensitivities. I would love to get your take on them since my pediatrician has never heard of them and they therefore recommend Gerber Extensive HA or Elecare. My preference is to keep him on an organic although they keep giving me the argument that they aren’t regulated the same (even though I have said they are better regulated in EU, my ped says that isn’t the case). My dad was born in Europe and we still have family and friends there so we have implemented quite a bit of European practices/philosophies throughout my life and now my son’s and I would like to continue to do so. Thanks for all of the information thus far!
Hi Shena,
I’ll be getting to a the Hypoallergenics later in the spring – so it will be a while. You can share this article with your ped if helpful – since the regulatory differences apply to hypoallergenics as well. HiPP HA is the same protein base as Gerber HA (fully hydrolyzed whey). So Gerber HA is the closest comparison in the US. If you want to chat more (since I know Spring is a long time away), I’d recommend setting up a free call with me! I’d love to chat!